The Bridge Between
by noelswonderland
Summary: Two lives are entangled for the sake of others; pawns in an elaborate game of chess that they never asked to play. Where time cannot heal all wounds, where there is no compromise, where the silence is pervasive – words become unnecessary. Claude x OC
1. The Watching Eyes

**Author's Note:** Quick note that this is sort of AU-ish, takes place before the events of Kuroshitsuji II in the early 1700s.

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**Chapter O1 – The Watching Eyes**

"_Through the dark they peer,_

_into the folds of oblivion,_

_where they glow the color_

_of the hate-filled sun."_

It had been overcast all day but now as night descended, the gray clouds in the sky seemed to be gradually accumulating; swelling like the belly of an ogre and ready to burst. She felt antsy watching them, knowing that the rain would be shortly followed by the lightning - and worse, the thunder.

Grabbing at the hem of her nightgown, she twisted the silken fabric into tight knots - knots like the ones in her stomach, where it felt like a thousand butterflies had been set free from their cages. It was as though they were fluttering around in a panicky hurry, bumping into every intestine in their haste to try and escape. But alas, there were no winged insects set lose in her abdomen. It was just her vivid imagination as she gulped at the precipitation outside. The water cascaded down and pelted her window, leaving small beads of rain behind that slowly trickled down her window pane.

And while she was so preoccupied with this sight, as though it was so enthralling that she could not tear her eyes away, one of the servants cracked open her door after an unheard knock. "My lady?" the servant ventured gruffly.

As she turned to the voice, her hair whipped around dangerously, the blonde locks nearly smacking the servant right in the face. "Oh, Marie! It's just you..." For a moment she breathed a sigh of relief, but the oxygen got caught up at the back of her throat as she paused to choke out an excuse, "I-I was, ah... Just looking outside at-"

"Don't want to hear it," the servant answered blankly while pointing roughly at the bed. "His grace asked that you be asleep in a timely manner. No more wasting your time daydreaming or peering out the window. Tomorrow is a big day since your brother is returning."

Brother... That word seemed to echo hollowly in her head, as though she didn't quite hear it at all. A sibling, she had thought, would always be nice to have. Someone supportive, even, and yet her "brother" was perhaps the person who despised her very existence the most.

"Right. George is finally returning from that... Trip of his." She was saying it more to herself than to Marie. In fact, the crotchety old woman with the wispy white hair was giving her a look that could kill, glaring daggers into the young blonde girl's head.

"Precisely," she snarled with a noticeable hint of derision. "So it was requested that you not impede this celebratory affair, Princess Adelaide."

Another laughable word - princess - it went right along there with brother on the scale of humorous things. If a title had ever been so meaningless to a person, then it would have to be her. Adelaide who was called princess in name only. Perhaps it was the curse of being an illegitimate child.

But telling Marie her woes about feeling unloved - which she didn't, thanks to her doting father - would have been entirely pointless. Regardless of the storm brewing outside, it was well past time for Adelaide to crawl beneath that grandiosely decorated duvet and into those silken sheets and embroidered linen. So she obeyed her headstrong, mouthy servant - trailed her feet straight over to the mattress and crawled onto it.

Marie assisted in setting the blanket over top of her, tucking her in. Although Marie was probably reluctant to do so. "Good night, Princess." Not that Marie meant that, either.

"M-Marie," the young princess called out hesitantly, "If... should the storm get too noisy-"

"Don't act spoiled," Marie chided, "At your age, storms shouldn't bother you."

Sinking back beneath the edge of her duvet, Adelaide responded with a resigned, "Okay..." Not that she was at all okay with the shrew dismissing her so readily. But in case the thunder became too noisy, she knew at least one door in the house that would always be open to her. That knowledge is all that put her to rest, her eyelids fluttering shut as she listened to the faintly fading footsteps as Marie departed and closed the doors quietly behind herself.

Then, in the silence, all she could hear was the rapping of the rain against her windows. Thump, thump it would go – like the sound of heartbeat. It was a lullaby that sang to her like the melody her mother always hummed as she cradled Adelaide in her arms as a wee babe. Slowly, reminiscing the memories of her sweet childhood, the young girl with the golden hair the shade of the sun slowly fell into sleep.

And for a while, the clouds in the sky toiled amongst themselves with the occasional far-off streak of lightning ricocheting through the darkness in silence, unaccompanied by the usual crashing sound that typically followed it. Adelaide slept in sweet peace filled with dreams of tomorrows, but it was ultimately short-lived. As the hours progressed, the storm became more fierce, and without warning, a flash of lightning was shortly thereafter accompanied by an ear shattering sound.

Shocked awake suddenly, Adelaide shot upright. The locks of her half-curled hair, bangs which tucked themselves beneath her chin, went flying outward like the wry, wrinkled hands of a witch. The shadow it cast upon the wall had her cry out in fright as she ducked beneath her covers, trembling.

And while her heart rate steadied itself gradually, and she managed to lower the blanket away from her face, Adelaide peered over at her window. Unlucky, really, because at that same moment the lightning came crashing again. Only this time she could see a silhouette hovering in her window, and eyes the color of the light that flooded into her room. They were _watching_ her, she was sure of it.

A bloodcurdling scream was drowned out by the ensuing thunder as she abandoned her bed, scrambling for the door. Her hand swiped at the door knob, and her sweat-drenched fingers nearly slipped loose as she managed a precarious grasp on it. Wrenching the door open in her hasty panic, Adelaide sprinted down the hall as fast as her legs could carry her – swift like the wind blowing so fiercely outside. The strands of her hair whipped around her just as the hem of her nightgown billowed about her knees.

Forming at the back of her throat was a bitter lump that she struggled to swallow as she nearly tumbled over while taking a sharp left turn at the corner of the hallway. In the darkness, she could not see the person standing in her way and she promptly crashed into them headlong.

Her shallow breathing quickened as she collided hard against the ground, her rear end managing only barely to cushion her fall. A small squeak made it past her lips as she jerked her chin up, eyes wide as saucers.

There in the darkness, right as the lightning struck again and peered in through the windows beside her and this... strange figure... she saw gold eyes again. Only this time, they belonged to the person whose shadow was cast over her, and in the dim light that appeared only momentarily, his face could not have looked any more unforgiving.

Terrified, she clamped her hands over her ears and snapped her eyes shut. Rocking back and forth on the carpet, in the midst of the hallway, she whispered something to herself. "It's just a dream, it's just a dream," as though a mantra that always managed to snap her out of her distress. She mentally counted down from ten, but before she ever even got to eight, the stranger spoke.

"You should not be out this late at night." It was a man's voice, cold and aloof as his face looked.

Adelaide gulped as she let down her shaking arms, tears lingering in her eyes as she peered up at the person. "W-who are you?" she asked. The question probably sounded more accusatory than she meant it to be, but she was also at a disadvantage.

In the moment it took for him to answer, the lightning and thunder came again. An endless cycle that had her curled up and sobbing like a newborn. To an onlooker, it would have probably been laughable to see a teenage girl crying like she needed her mother. The stranger, however, seemed oddly unamused by her suffering. If anything, he was utterly indifferent.

His head tilted, as though regarding her as a curious specimen. Maybe it was disgust on his face, but either way, she couldn't see it. "You are afraid of the storm," he surmised, as though it was some great revelation.

Not that Adelaide was in any position to chide him for his obviousness. She couldn't even lift her head, for fear of seeing another flash of light that would surely be followed by that deafening noise. But while she was preoccupied, struggling with her own fear, the man seemed to have better things to do – whatever those _things_ were. She could faintly hear his footsteps, and through the shadow cast by his body, Adelaide knew he was circling right around her without saying anything else.

And while it was shameless, she was beyond caring. Her hand shot out and she grasped at his pant leg, strangely damp – perhaps from being outside? Adelaide wasn't sure, but she kept a tight, albeit trembling, grasp on the wet fabric. "P-please," she stuttered hesitantly, "Just until the storm passes."

It was probably quite an inconvenience to the stranger, though they did not say that to her. No, in fact, he silently acquiesced. Even after she relinquished her grip on his pant leg, the man stood motionless. He said not a word and moved not a muscle.

For his silence, for the fact that he did not condescendingly admonish her for her childish fears without regard, Adelaide was grateful. To know there was someone standing there was enough for her to get through the rest of the storm – flashing light and crashing noises – without sobbing out every last salty drop of liquid that her tear ducts could produce.

Eventually, after a while, the storm began to subside. The interval between the lightning and the thunder gradually became longer until it seemed to altogether disappear. Adelaide was not sure how much time had passed in this time, but while she was hunched over and trembling, the stranger stood beside her without so much as flinching.

Finally she was able to shakily stand upon her knees. Unsure of how to express her gratitude, and perhaps feeling embarrassed, she looked sheepishly up at the man who remained a few heads taller than she. "My Lord, you have my eternal gratitude. Should you ever find yourself in need of a favor, please allow me to return it to you." She smiled awkwardly, blushing as she remembered that she was still in her night garments.

Without responding, he started down the hallway with only the flutter of his cloak left in his wake. In the darkness she could not discern whatever expression might have existed on his face. He was mysterious – like an enigma.

And as she remembered her fatal mistake, she called after him, "I ask that you remember the name Adelaide Louis!" The moment the name escaped her lips, she turned on her heel and scuttled down the hallway clumsily.

It seemed such a long way back to her room and she found herself casting the occasional glance back, wondering where that stranger was headed. It was unusual for anyone to be traversing the halls of the palace, save for the guards on patrol. (Speaking of which, she could not recall seeing any...) Her brows furrowed at this thought, but she pushed it out of her mind. If she did not hurry and fall asleep, then she would be exhausted by the time Marie came to her room in the morning and drew the curtains.

Crawling beneath the duvet, she snuggled against her pillow while her heart still seemed to be racing at the speed of a million miles a second. An irrepressible smile had lifted the edges of her lips until she was grinning from ear to ear like the fool she was. No matter how much she tried to calm herself, her heart could not be steadied. Despite the scare caused by the storm, she was grateful to have someone there – someone whose mere presence had settled her worries.

Adelaide, as a naive and sheltered a young lady as she was, was also a hopeless romantic. And while she fell back into the foggy dream world, she romanticized her meeting with that stranger. For she knew the day was upon her when she would have to be betrothed to further the English Kingdom, Adelaide was able to pretend for at least a millisecond that not all things in her life were simply predetermined. And she yet fell unto sleep with that smile still etched upon her lips. Even into the night as she slept, it did not fade.

—

As the sun rolled up over the horizon and began peeking through the curtains, Adelaide rolled over on her stomach and pulled a pillow over her head. "Just a few more minutes, Marie," she muttered in her stupor.

And the crotchety old bat merely grunted in response to the young girl's antics. "Just a few more minutes, eh?" she huffed. The curtains had already been pulled back, and despite numerous attempts, the young princess simply refused to be roused through normal means. A dark expression surfaced on the shrew's face as she stomped off determinedly with her hands set upon her hips. And as she came back, hobbling as old women do, there was the metal clinking of a bucket and the slosh of fresh well water.

Marie cackled to herself grimly. "Going to make me go to extra work just to wake up your royal highness, huh?" She seemed to be quite amused as she waddled over to the bedside and peeked at the still sleeping Adelaide. "Time to get up, your grace!"

Adelaide barely registered those words until she was jolted out of dreamland by the crashing feeling of a thousand needles piercing through the thin fabric of her nightgown. The water seemed to seep through every inch of the fabric. From her chest down to her bottom, everything felt frozen and numb as she let out a sharp squeak followed by a gasping breath. "W-what w-was th-that?" she demanded as she shot upright, throwing her pillow halfway across the room while slapping her hands defensively across her chest.

The gray-haired coot that stared at her blankly apparently felt an explanation was not in order, for she did not offer one. "You already missed your brother's return. I daresay if you loiter much longer, then you will have missed your part in the parade as well... Oh, I do believe I remember your father grudgingly stating how a certain princess would not be allowed to attend the masquerade ball tonight if her presence was not seen by the people at the parade. But I could be mistaken. After all, I'm just an 'old, worn-out hag,' as you kindly put it."

"I-I didn't say that," Adelaide protested unconvincingly. Then slowly it donned on her that, actually, she had said those exact words... in her dream. Only, she supposed, it apparently was _not_ a dream.

While she was reeling to figure out some way to apologize properly to the elderly maid, Marie was already hobbling to the closet. The old woman thrust the double doors open and pointed her crooked, wrinkled finger at the glimmering pink dress suspended therein. "This is what your father said to wear. In your current state, however..." she paused to frown, "You don't look at all fit for your title."

"A bath," Adelaide guessed easily what Marie was alluding to. "I should hurry to the bath!" And with that, the scrambling princess shot out the door with her dripping wet hair fluttering glued to the back of her now see-through gown... Which she neglected to notice in her haste.

Marie breathed a sigh as she pressed her hand over her eyes. "Truly too old for this..." she muttered before trailing after her "master."

Fortunately, with all the servants to aid her, Adelaide was bathed in the finest of imported oils with her hair dried as thoroughly as possible in just under half an hour. Then, in as quick a manner as possible, she was dressed in the royal attire her father had handpicked for her. Gaudy, glimmering jewels accentuated her delicate and pale face. They seemed heavy and out of place around her neck, on her fingers, and across her wrists. The young princess eyed them with those apprehensive brown eyes of hers.

"Do I really have to wear these?" she asked repeatedly of Marie.

The old woman would merely respond, in that robotic manner of hers, "Yes, Princess."

Everything seemed to swirl around her, the world made up of a coalescing array of colors. Marie escorted her down to the parade, and while Adelaide's mind was in a jumble, she could only robotically follow the instructions as they were given to her. (Though it seemed only to go in one ear before drifting out the next.) Try as she might to focus, she could barely register as she drawn out, in carriage, into the streets of the city. The sound of horse shoes clicking against the cobblestone filled her ear as she jolted back to life, looking about like a frightened deer – which her brother commented on.

"Adelaide, that look on your face," he spoke through gritted teeth and a smile.

Remembering her role as royalty, she quickly put on her best (hapless) grin before turning to wave at the crowd of onlookers. The young princess barely had a moment to speak a word to her brother – because, apparently, she could not recall that she had already greeted him. Her mind was too filled with thoughts of the previous night, of those golden eyes she had seen. And the mere thought of them elicited a chill that ran down her spine while she cringed.

And while she waved out to the crowds that cheered at the return of their beloved prince, she sneaked a glance over at the man who seemed so loved by the people of her country. Although he appeared to have a gentle demeanor about him as he waved heartily at the people, there was a gruffness about him that made her avert her eyes the moment peered over at her. That gaze of his seemed to spell out his resentment for her, as though the mere sight of her was unseemly.

"I heard Father would be taking another trip to Hanover in the next several days." He seemed to be alluding to something, though the prince was never one to speak his intentions outright.

"Yes, I have heard of that..." Adelaide's voice trailed off with uncertainty. She wondered what relevance their father's trip had with her.

But the prince changed the subject quickly. "It is about time for you to marry off. It seems excessive for Father to retain you here as some sort of decoration to entertain guests." What he seemed to be insinuating is that on the condition of Adelaide's engagement, England stood to strengthen its ties.

Not that she was unprepared for this role, even as she dipped her chin slightly in disappointment at her brother's mention of it. "Of course," she hesitated, "I am... Fully prepared to do so. As soon as Father finds a suitable husband." Although in her mind she swore that a suitable one would never exist – for what was a marriage born out of necessity while lacking love? Nothing, she was sure, but a pitiful union unrecognized even by the Divine.

Yet Adelaide would speak not these begrudging words to the man that was first in line for the throne. As a direct heir, and with their aging father, the prince was practically already in the position of king. At the very least, his position demanded a respect that would see Adelaide hold her tongue.

"Mayhaps he will find one at the ball tonight." The prince smiled at her, rather unpleasantly.

As much as she had previously been looking forward to it, admiring the mask that her father had gifted to her, porcelain with encrusted jewels and rich paint that outlined the eyes like kohl, Adelaide felt crestfallen. Her brother's hopes for a hasty engagement, perhaps anticipating her father's passing, was surely his way of trying to get rid of her quickly. Perhaps, in other circumstances, she would think he was advocating her happiness – perhaps, if her brother did not loathe her with every fiber of his being.

Then a wonder crossed her mind. "Is there someone you would see me paired with?" The question begged an answer, just to sate her curiosity. Adelaide looked questioning at her half-sibling. She had no intention of challenging him, and yet it surely came across to the prince that a challenge was exactly her intention.

He quirked a brow at her, condescending as he was. "Would you prefer I have Father refer your hand?" It was clearly sarcastic, painted in the voice of innocence.

Adelaide almost regretted asking, and the frown soon showed on her face. She was no match for her brother in terms of acting skills. As regal as she was supposed to be, in the face of disappointment or embarrassment, she was unable to hide her shame. "I only wish that this parade would finish quickly. My arm tires from the waving."

"It matters not if your hand tired, keep your expression happy for the sake of the people. Someday you will have to learn to let go of that unflattering selfishness of yours." He was scolding her, again.

Forcing a smile at her brother's behest, Adelaide turned to gaze out at the people with the fake expression. If any of the crowd noticed that her feigned happiness was nothing more than a farce, it did not show on their faces. For they smiled back at her as they cheered her brother's name, and somewhere in there, she was sure she heard hers spoken as well.

It was an uncomfortable ride, despite the well cushioned seats that were so delicately embroidered. The dress she was wearing felt like a sheet that suffocated the movement of every limb in her body. Her mind – her legs – yearned for an experience as she had last night. Running at full speed with the stillness of the air unable to subdue her. If she could find an empty field, where she could but run with her feet naked of those constraining shoes, it would be as what she could imagine heaven to be.

And while the young princess was lost in her own daydreams, the carriage came to jerky halt. She nearly flew right out of her seat, if it had not been for her brother's hand that so tightly gripped her shoulder in order to steady her. Adelaide winced at the pain that he afflicted upon her from the forcefulness of his touch, and she was sure it was intentional. But then the expression on his face belied his actions. He smiled down at her.

"The masquerade ball tonight," the prince reminded her. "As I am yet unmarried as well, we will attend as siblings. Arm in arm." That last part he almost seemed to bite out in a sense of bitterness that was not lost on Adelaide.

When at last he released her, the blonde-haired woman lifted herself out of the carriage with the help of a guard that stood at the base to assist her down the steep steps. Then, hands grasping at the folds of her dress, she hiked up just high enough so that she could walk without tripping over the fabric, Adelaide headed back inside the palace. Traipse was probably more the word – march purposefully, even.

A small part of her yearned to sabotage the event that her brother seemed so enamored with. Embarrass him, she hoped, and perhaps sweep away the thought that he could so easily dispose of her through an unwanted marriage that would only give him better diplomatic ties. No, if he wanted to ask such a favor of her, then she would not submissively accept it like the obedient little princess he hoped her to be.

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**Author's Note:** So I hope I managed to pique your interest. This is a new writing style (again) and a story type and character type different than anything I have done before. But I wanted to see what other people thought before I decided to continue - still unsure of whether I want to or not. Would appreciate any feedback, thanks to those who took the time to read! :)


	2. Falling Forever

**Chapter O2 – Falling Forever**

As classical music filled the air, people clamored to the dance floor. It was a melody of footsteps and a visual display of swishing dressed and coy smiles. How glamorously they were all dressed, hair rolled up into the most fanciful of styles she had ever seen. The jewelry – sparkling and shining so much in the light that it was nearly blinding.

While she looked upon the sight wistfully, Adelaide felt no inclination to join them. The high-heeled shoes on her feet were already cutting into her skin. She grimaced at the pain every time she took a step. Her brother – the prince – seemed vaguely aware, casting her the occasional glance, but he spoke not a word and offered her no reprieve. He kept their arms firmly locked even as she tried to pull away. (Probably because he was waiting for the right nobleman to approach, the one he planned to marry her off to.)

Fortunately, luck seemed to be on her side. One of the government officials stopped by and started engaging the prince in political matters and the distraction allowed her the opportunity to slip away. Adelaide made a beeline for the stairs leading out to the balcony, casting the occasional wary glance back to make sure that her brother's eyes weren't following her.

_Safe,_ she thought triumphantly as she stepped out into the night, where the cool air caressed her cheeks. She took a sharp inhale. It smelled of wet grass, air thick with humidity from the rain the night before. Trudging in the confounded shoes that still constrained around her feet, Adelaide made her way to the arched railing.

Peering over the edge, she was pleased to see that the sight that greeted her was none other than her father's garden, Well-tended as it was, it was often her favorite escape. The lilacs, the daisies, the roses – they were all so beautiful, an array of vivid colors that could only be described as a delight to the eyes.

Adelaide slumped against the railing, breathing a sigh. She knew that it was her duty to return to the party and yet the idea of meet a suitor convinced her that she would rather be scolded than courted by some spoiled rich boy from some allied kingdom. (Handsome or not, they were all the same. Boys – still so boring and immature, even at her age.)

And while she was preoccupied, far more engaged in her wild imagination than she should be, Adelaide only vaguely registered the blur of movement down in the garden. At least not until she spotted it – that which she had seen the night before, peering into her windows – two golden eyes, gleaming through the darkness like fireflies in the summer.

Startled, she took a stumbling step backward, nearly tripping over the folds of her own dress. It took her a moment to get her bearings though her heart was still racing. Her breathing still hadn't steadied either, but she took a hesitant peek back over the railing.

They were gone.

Feeling a bit more courageous, she stepped on the elevated ledge, leaning half of her body over the railing, and peered around the garden. Eyes narrowed, she tried again to try and spot it. In the darkness, with the light of the party glaring in from behind her, it made it difficult to make out much of anything. All she could discern were the outlines of the flowers and bushes, but there seemed to be no human silhouette to be found. Carried away in her search, she leaned a little farther. At that moment she lost her footing and with a shrill cry, started to topple right over the edge.

Two hands firmly grasped her waist, pulling her back over and onto the safety of the balcony. Her heels tapped against the marble flooring. Legs still trembling from the scare, she cautiously craned her head to gaze upon the face of her rescuer.

Startled to recognize the familiar, unforgiving face of the stranger she had met just a night ago when the storm had hit, Adelaide took a step backward. The man easily released her and she stumbled away from him, her back bumping the railing. Those eyes of his, the same shade of gold that she had seen gleaming through the darkness just moments ago startled her.

"Y-you," she said, pointing a finger toward him.

"Me," he acknowledged blankly.

"Claude," a booming voice called from behind the tall, lanky man. It was none other than George, who looked particularly livid, eyes glaring in Adelaide's general direction. "I see you have met my... sister." He seemed reluctant to acknowledge their blood relation (albeit a _half_ blood relation, as their mothers were different).

"Yes."

Confused at how the two seemed acquainted with each other, the girl looked to her brother for answers. "W-who is this?" Although she knew it was a little rude to word it that way, Adelaide could still feel her heart beating against her ribcage.

George seemed to stare at her for a moment, the gears in his head spinning. His hesitancy to answer the question inclined her to believe that he did not want to answer. Alas, he spoke, "He is to be your new tutor." It seemed a cover for something more and Adelaide wondered at the reasoning as to why her brother could not explain that in the first place, rather than looking at Claude questioningly before responding to her.

"Tutor?" she echoed quizzically. But Adelaide soon remembered that it was improper to question authority, especially her brother's. So she bowed her head and said, "Thank you for looking out for my well-being." Although there was little truth to those words. Her brother always had an ulterior motive. It was probably a tutor hired to reform her into a lady so she would be more suitable for marrying off.

"You should return to the dance floor and mingle." A command framed in the form of a suggestion.

Although she begrudged her brother for it, Adelaide paused before heading back inside. Her eyes lingered on the stranger for a moment – this Claude person. The way he returned her gaze gave her chills down her spine. There was something foreboding about him that prompted her to avert her eyes and quickly scramble back to the party. She couldn't get away fast enough. There were goose bumps across the length of her arms.

When she was back inside, Adelaide decided to head straight for the dance floor. If only to stick it to her brother for forcing her to mingle. (She was, after all, a dreadful sight to behold on the dance floor.) Unfortunately for the few partners that approached her, they walked away limping after they'd had enough of her clumsy footwork. She felt a little giddy about how triumphant she had been in driving them off.

And after a while men stopped approaching. So she stood at the sidelines, muttering a few choice words beneath her breath while looking down at her aching feet. The party could not be over soon enough. Regardless, she did not plan to entertain herself with watching much longer. As soon as she saw her brother heading onto the floor with his fiancee, she turned to leave. He would be too busy to give chase and she would be free.

At least, that had been her silent hope. But then, in a blur of black, she was swept back onto the dance floor. One hand gently cupped her waist while the other cradled her hand in its palm. She was so surprised that it took her a moment to realize that she was twirling around with someone.

"Who-" her words were cut short as she lifted her chin, brown eyes meeting golden ones. Immediately she realized it was her newly-hired tutor. "Sir Claude," she addressed politely with some amount of disdain. Purposefully, she tried to jab her heel into his toes but like an experienced dancer, he deftly dodged her misstep, which nearly sent her toppling over.

Claude, however, tightly grasped her hand which helped to keep her upright. "Those shoes must be bothering your feet," he surmised solemnly, "For you to dance this poorly." To Adelaide it seemed like a crude remark, but judging by the expression on the man's face, he saw it merely as an honest statement.

"Likewise, you must be unused to parties to treat a lady so poorly," she quipped sourly. Unlike the night before when he had caught her at her weakest, Adelaide was not content to be walked on. Her rigidity was probably what kept most men from actively pursuing her. Something her brother was undoubtedly bitter about but that she had never been more thankful for.

"Are you old enough to be considered a lady?" He quirked a brow at her as he paused to dip her backward.

Adelaide's body tensed with fear. She had half a mind to reach up and grab at his neck to keep herself steady, fearing that out of spite he might drop her. Alas, he did not, and as soon as she was back on her feet again, she responded. "I most certainly am – I could be married now if I wanted."

The features of his face remained oddly still, almost statuesque. Adelaide likened it to dancing with those stiff guards that always stood outside the palace. They never seemed to laugh or crack a smile. It was a perfect resemblance. "Yet you are not."

"I have yet to meet someone suitable. That's all." Although in truth, and most likely the both of them knew it, Adelaide had no choice in who it was she would marry. It was just that her father had not actively sought out someone for her and her brother was not yet in the position to force her along. But she could feel the pressure. It would not be long until her brother assumed the throne and she would be cast off in a political marriage, never to return to England again. The very thought saddened her.

Then, suddenly, a thought popped up in her mind. Feeling a little mischievous, she asked the question, "On that very note, Sir, why are you not married? You are older than I, are you not?"

He did not seem the least bit taken aback by her inquiry. "I am merely one hell of..." Then, for a moment he paused, a slight tug working on the edge of his lips as he finished, "a tutor." It was an awkward thing to say and truly did not answer her question. But he at least had enough sense to elaborate. "I am here to serve His Highness."

It was a straightforward answer that she would expect of anyone working for her brother. Adelaide frowned. Having someone like this as a tutor would prove utterly boring. How many other people had her brother tried to plant around her to shape her into her a proper lady that she had run off? Even though he was a good enough dancer that he made up for her own lack of coordination, there was no way he would make it for more than a few weeks.

Sad, really, when she thought about it. For, as she gazed up at his face, she felt drawn to those eyes. Golden like the crown upon her father's head, they seemed to shine with some unforgiving malice that left her heart beating frantically. But Adelaide was not one to be so easily swept up into the maelstrom of emotion.

When at last the melody of instruments ceased, she abruptly tore herself away from Claude. "I bid you a good night, Sir." Then, discarding her dignity, she hiked up her dress and hurried out of the ballroom. Her feet were nearly screaming at her, and she imagined it would be difficult to walk tomorrow.

—

"You should at least understand this much."

She strained to try and understand the Latin written in the book that Claude was so deterministically asserting that she should be able to read. But for the first time, Adelaide found herself outwitted. She had always neglected her language studies and so the whole sentence was beyond her. It just sounded like some jumbled garbage that she had no inclination of understanding. "Well, I can't."

Those gold eyes stared at her for a moment. "Have you learned the basics?"

It was probably a genuine question but, once again, she felt insulted. "Well, of course I have."

"Tell me what you do know."

Disgruntled, she folded her arms over her chest. "I fail to see the importance of this. It is academics, is it not? All the other tutors have instructed me on women's duties – how to be a lady. Granted they were all women... But is that not what my brother hired you for?"

"I remember you claiming to already be a lady."

Exasperated, she huffed at him. "That's right, and what does a lady need to know these things for?" She jabbed a finger in the direction of the stack of books on the table. They were sitting in the middle of the castle's library. Rows of shelves were lined around them like a fortress of books. (Many of which Adelaide had willing read as a child.)

Claude stared at her for a moment. "Ask your brother." He always answered vaguely. Yet he was simultaneously very direct. Definitely a frustrating man – she could somehow understand why he was not married. What father would see his daughter married off only for her to die young after having her head twisted by this disturbing individual?

She groaned to herself. "Let's just call it a day."

"Three more hours," he reminded her.

For whatever reason, he seemed to be under the impression that he could persuade her. That or he thought by being a man and being under her brother that he had some kind of direct authority over her. How wrong he was, she thought to herself, and she would show him as much. "Sir Claude, how long have you been at the castle?"

"Several days."

A devious grin curled onto her lips as she stood abruptly, the legs of the chair dragging against the carpet as she did so. "You must be weary then. It is a lot to take in, in just a few days. Rather than being cooped up in here studying, you should do something fun."

"Fun?" he echoed questioningly, doubt evident on his face.

"Yeah," she was quick to assure, giving him a nod. "So do you like gambling, Sir Claude?"

Both of his eyebrows arched up. "What are you eluding to?" It seemed from the way he suddenly crossed his arms over his chest that, while he was willing to hear her out, he was uninterested in her proposal. But still, as a man, she was sure he would not be able to decline.

"My father has the most beautiful garden anywhere around. And there is a maze within. Surely not as small as some that you might find in foreign countries. The twists and turns are well-planned and not once has anyone – not even my brother – managed to get through it without help. So how about we have us a race, Sir Claude? I will even offer you a head start."

"If I win, you will resume your studies." He did not even have the courtesy the frame it as a question. Rather, the dark-haired man seemed to understand Adelaide's aim well enough to effectively "assert" his end of the deal.

She felt a little callous for not even forewarning him that she was an expert at maneuvering through her father's maze... But considering the material he expected her to study, Adelaide could feel little remorse. Suppressing the smirk that threatened to rise onto her face and reveal her plans, Adelaide guided Claude through the library, down several flights of stairs, and to the garden.

The maze loomed insight, shrubs several heads taller than even Claude whose height seemed to be unrivaled. Even on her tiptoes, Adelaide would be unable to see eye-to-eye with him. Perhaps it was because he managed to tower over her that he also thought himself superior. No matter, because she would show him quickly that he was mistaken.

It was hard to believe she was such a saucy thing in the day when unsupervised by Marie or her brother. Perhaps Claude found it mildly jarring at how capricious she was – shifting from different extremes in such a short amount of time. Not that Adelaide paused to consider the whiplash she was giving him.

"I will let you begin whenever, Sir Claude. Meanwhile I will start count at zero and once I reach one-hundred I will begin." She smiled sweetly, although there was little genuineness to be seen on her face. "Good luck. If you get lost, I will round up some of the guards to help me find you. But try not to panic, that just makes it worse."

He did not seem the least bit shaken by her warning, regarding her with narrowed eyes. "I see." Then abruptly, with a flutter of coattails, he strode toward the entrance of the maze. Without another spoken word he disappeared into the maze of greenery.

Humming to herself as she deliberately counted faster than she needed to, Adelaide soon followed in after him. Really, she reasoned, it did not matter how much of an advantage she gave him because even too much would end up being too little. Frankly, the moment he accepted her offer, he was doomed to be beaten. She would drive him out quickly this way.

_And then I won't have to study any more of that Latin._ That was the main point, really.

Weaving through the various twists and turns, she sighed to herself. It had been years since she memorized her way. It would be all too easy to beat Claude and have all this over with. Except, as she soon realized, something seemed a little off.

When she came to what was supposed to be a fork in the road, it slip three ways. The path was distinctly different than Adelaide remembered. Her brows furrowed as her heart started to race. _Don't panic,_ she reminded herself. She composed herself and then closed her eyes. In the silence she was left with, she tried to remember the way, mentally moving herself through the map that was laid out in her mind. Yet no matter how many times she repeated it, she came up with the same conclusion: the maze's layout had been altered. She was not sure why, she was not sure when – but she was _sure_ that it had been changed.

Her first instinct was to fly into a panic – exactly what she had told Claude not to do. But she took a deep breath and tried to quiet her nerves. "Claude?" she bellowed in the darkness and the silence, hoping to hear some kind of response. If he was not too far away, the two could join back together and find their way out.

There was no answer, however.

"Claude?" she called out again, her voice cracking. It belied the mantra she was chanting in her head, trying to calm herself down. No good – her heart was racing and her breathing had become labored as she started to dash randomly down various turns. "Claude!" Golden locks of hair billowed behind her as the wind whipped against her face.

As she was running, her foot caught on a rock and sent her flying face forward into the ground. She managed to place her arms in front of her, cushioning the fall. But she cried in anguish as her knees scraped against the ground. Adelaide quickly scrambled onto her haunches, inspecting the scratches on the skin of her legs. There was a little bit of blood but it was a superficial cut. Still, the pain just made the situation worse. Inwardly she admonished herself. This was surely the divine's will to punish her and make her reflect on her actions. No doubt she would be rattling off this confession in church on Sunday to see that she was forgiven for the sin of pride.

She hiccuped and sniffled as she slowly plopped down onto her bottom and hugged her knees to her chest. How humiliating to have been so overconfident and conceited, only to be knocked down a few pegs by her own arrogance. Adelaide pressed her face into the back of her legs, mumbling a few curses against her skin. The warmth of her breath caressed the exposed skin of her legs and it caused her to shiver. Somehow, where the sun could barely be seen peering in from above, it felt unusually cold.

Although she knew, somehow, someone would find her and help her out, she did not know how long she would have to wait until then. In the first place she had memorized the maze so as to never be forced into such a situation again. She remembered as a child, using yarn to keep her from losing her way, to remind her of the paths she had already gone. Yet now she had no such luxury.

And as she wallowed in her own self-pity, she wondered to herself if somehow Claude had already made it out. _Hardly possible,_ she thought to herself. Surely he was just about as lost and bewildered as she. That gave her some measure of comfort.

After a few minutes of mentally reassuring herself, Adelaide returned to her feet. Her stomach was still in tight knots that left her feeling nauseous, but she did not see fit to loiter just hoping for a rescuer. If she was going to make it out of the maze, then she would have to find the way herself. Although her own actions had come back to bite her, it put her on even footing with Claude. For that she couldn't feel guilty. It was now a race to see who made it out first. And being especially competitive, Adelaide did not see fit to lose. She pumped her fists while saying, "Okay, here we go!" Then took off in a dead run, trying every pathway she could.

Yet for all her confidence at being able to _eventually _find her way out, after it seemed as though several hours had passed, her ego was beginning to deflate again. She had slowed to a steady walk, peering around worriedly at her surroundings. She was not sure how much, if any, progress she had made. All the turns, all the corners looked the same. And she had no way of marking the way in which she had already come from. As far as she knew, she was moving in circles. And the whole time she saw neither hide nor hair of Claude. Which on the one hand had her thankful, on the other had her curious if he had already made it out.

_He had better come back in to find me then,_ she thought bitterly as she gritted her teeth.

Then all of a sudden she heard a rustling from behind her. Although it jolted her in surprise, she suspected it was Claude making his approach. So she turned around with a look of relief on her face, only to see that, hidden amongst the tall bushes, were two gleaming gold eyes. The same ones she had seen in the garden last night. At first she had thought them to be Claude's – somehow – but they were distinctly different, she was sure.

She swallowed hard, taking a step back. What _was_ that thing? Peering out at her – it looked like some kind of monster. And it was advancing. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she turned around and took off running as fast as her legs would allow. Inwardly she was praying that she would not run into a dead end and be cornered by that – that _thing_.

Once she was sure she had put some distance between herself and _it_, she chanced a glance back, still keeping her pace up. In the split second she was not paying attention, and she started to twist her head back around, she crashed into something rock solid that sent her reeling backward. A hand caught her elbow and steadied her.

"My Lady," Claude addressed in a monotone voice.

Although her heart was still pounding in her ears, she managed to hear his words. Still terrified of whatever it was that had been chasing her, Adelaide craned her neck again to do a double-take – just to make sure it had not pursued her. "Th-there was something," she stuttered breathlessly, "Something.. Th-that followed me."

"You were probably hallucinating in your panic."

She swallowed the lump in the back of her throat and firmly shook her head as she gazed up at his eyes – the same shade of gold as that monster. "I know what I saw, Sir. Something has been following me since the other night."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Long time between updates unfortunately. Just got out of school so hopefully that will change. Thank you guys for all the supportive reviews! I started this, in part, because of the lack of Claude stories. He is kind of a jerk in Kuroshitsuji II but I just can't but like him nonetheless. Ah, I always like those aloof characters with a cold heart. (Or, arguably, heartless.) Thanks to Xephy for being my eternal slave... err, beta reader.


	3. Everything Under the Moon

******Chapter O3 – Everything Under the Moon  
**

"And what does this say?"

All of the words were beginning to blur before her as she squinted to try and concentrate on what it said in the book. Exhaustion had long ago settled in, and yet because Claude had managed to be triumphant in their bet, Adelaide had reluctantly agreed to hold up her end of the bargain. She was, however, not the most cooperative of students. "I don't know," she told him outright, crossing her arms over her chest.

He seemed to have endless patience for her antics as he leaned over her back, pointing his outstretched fingers to the word on the page. "It reads..." and although his voice, smooth as silk, recited the words, she drowned them out with her preoccupied thoughts. "Now try again."

Frustrated with her own inability to concentrate, she leaned back in her chair. "This is pointless, Sir." She had told him that so many numerous times that she was beginning to feel a little redundant saying it again. Yet somehow, Claude never seemed to be exasperated in hearing it. Like a saint he bent down again and started to read the words. "No, no, no," she huffed, swatting at him until he backed away. "I need a break."

"You have already taken several in the past half hour." It sounded as though he was finally beginning to protest against her whims.

But the boredom was overwhelming. Adelaide bristled at his assertion and hurriedly stood from her chair. As she brushed past him, the two gently bumped shoulders and she gave him a brief glare that seemed to go unnoticed. _The monotony is going to kill me,_ she thought to herself bitterly, head throbbing with the influx of information. All the words and phrases she had been forced to memorize seemed to flutter around in her head, hindering her thoughts from forming properly.

Adelaide marched to the doors of the balcony and thrust them open. When she stepped out, she was relieved to inhale the evening air. Since the sun was (slowly, ever so slowly) descending in the distant horizon, it would be night soon. But she frowned to herself upon noticing the ominous clouds that loitered in the sky above.

"Is it going to rain again?" she asked more to herself than the person waltzing up from behind her.

As though she had made the inquisition toward him directly, Claude answered, "It will." There was a rather grim look on his face as he stopped beside her, gently resting his hands upon the ledge. Those gold eyes of his gazed out.

Although she was happily surprised that he had relented in nagging her about her studies, Adelaide was chagrined by his answer. "You could lie," she told him. "Or you could simply say that you don't know."

"There is no reason to lie."

She sighed. There was nothing she hated more than the rain – and she recalled the last time it had rained, not that long ago. The last thing Adelaide wanted was to be left alone to the ear-splitting sound of the thunder while the lightning danced in the sky. Especially after seeing those eyes that had been following her movement when she was all alone.

So she clapped her hands together decisively. "Sir Claude, your aim is to teach me as quickly as possible, isn't it?" Although she posed the question, she did not bother waiting to hear an answer from him. "Therefore, it seems only proper that you tutor me until I have learned everything you have set out to drill into my head. Am I correct?"

"Yes." He folded his hands across his stomach as he studied her with some manner of suspicion, as though he could already tell where the conversation was headed.

That did not dissuade Adelaide, however, who continued on obliviously. "Well, it seems I am having difficulty." Though she was loathe to admit to what extent she was struggling in her studies. "So it is only fitting that you stay by me as long as I am willing to learn."

"You're afraid of the rain," he surmised without missing a beat.

Perturbed that he would dare mention a lady's greatest fear, she glared at him. "You, Sir Claude, have no tact. I doubt your words about being properly ready to marry. Are you sure a father would accept a son-in-law such as yourself with such ill manners? As a princess, I am chagrined to see such behavior."

"I will keep that in mind." Though he said it with little feeling, more monotonously than respectful.

Adelaide waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Well, never mind that, Sir. While I would kindly ask you not to speak so brutishly," and she took the opportunity just to insult him because of how embittered she was to have lost their bet, "Please honor my request."

Though he hardly seemed inclined to agree, he breathed a quiet sigh as he inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Very well. Let's get started then." Obviously his aim was to educate her, not to console her, even if he understood the reason why she had asked him for something that she so detested. It was, at least, an opportunity for him to try and solidify some of the Latin and history into her head.

And while Adelaide was not averse to his tutelage personally, she still struggled through his teachings. Willingly, she settled back in front of the table. Once the sky had darkened adequately, they spent their time by candlelight working well after the rain started beating against the windows. Despite her protests, Claude did not allow Adelaide another break until just before her bedtime, which she was hoping to avoid.

"You need sleep to learn," he recited, as though he had read it in a book. Most likely, he had.

Adelaide huffed in her skepticism as she trailed over to the closed windows and pressed her hand against the cold glass pane. "And how do you suppose, Sir – since you have so wittily discovered my aversion to the rain – that I should sleep through this?"

"Overcome it." Claude sounded just like her brother as he said it, like it was the most obvious and easiest thing in the world. Yet even he had to understand that, to some degree, it was not so easy to overcome one's worst fear.

"That is also not something you should say to a lady," she protested lividly.

For whatever reason, of which Adelaide could not fathom, Claude did not see deem that worth responding to. Instead, he briefly peered out of the window before remarking about how late Marie was in retrieving Adelaide. It was routine that Marie act as an escort to Adelaide as she moved through her daily appointments. And she had never been late before. It was odd – suspicious, to Adelaide. Claude did not seem to share in her idea of conspiracy.

"Marie is never late," Adelaide told him nervously as she glanced at the door. Not that she was in any hurry to return to her room, but her own paranoia plagued her. What about those gold eyes she had seen in the maze? And her window before? No one seemed to believe her, yet Adelaide was convinced that it signified some impending danger.

While her fears, at least for the moment, remained unfounded, it was certainly true that Marie was well past the time she should have arrived. So Claude uncharacteristically took the role of a gentleman and told Adelaide, "I will be the one to escort you to your room, then."

"A-ah," she stammered with a sudden blush, "That won't work, Sir Claude! Marie always dresses me."

"We can look for her on the way." It seemed that he would not take no for an answer. And so the two of them ended up walking side-by-side, despite Adelaide's various protests. The candles in the library were blown out before they left, leaving darkness to crowd around them like moths to a flame. Coincidentally, it was Claude holding the candlelight, guiding their way down the empty corridor.

Due to the sound of ricocheting thunder outside, Adelaide kept the distance between her and Claude to a minimum. Several times she bumped against him, only to mutter an apology when his glaring golden eyes peered at her from behind those glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He did not pardon her, he only kept his silence.

The entire way they did not see any sign of Marie, nor did they speak to each other. Adelaide thought to speak a few words but ultimately remained silent. It was not in her nature to be so demure and quiet, but there was something itching at the back of her mind. An inner sense of dread, a feeling that something was inevitably wrong. She did not speak of these feelings to Claude, of course, as she imagined he would shrug them off as mere paranoia. Just as he had when she had first spoke to him of those eyes that followed her.

When they finally spotted her room at the end of the hallway, the door was slightly ajar. Surprising, since Adelaide knew that Marie always made sure to keep it firmly closed. That was what first put her guard up, and while Claude boldly strode ahead, she folded her body behind him.

"I... I'm just going to stay behind you," she told him. In part because Adelaide feared that in the darkness of her room, she would see those eyes. Eyes that no one else seemed to get a glimpse of. And for once, Claude made no tactless response.

He did grant her one brief glance, peering over his shoulder. But then he continued on to her half-open door. The tall, scholarly man gently nudged it open with his foot and lifted the candlelight inside, illuminating everything therein. Including a sight that was gruesome enough that, once Adelaide got a brief glimpse of it, she hid back behind Claude.

"W-What is it?" she demanded in a trembling voice.

"Ah, I believe we found Marie." Despite the grimness of the situation, his voice remained solemn and unaffected. If she could have seen his face, his expression probably had not changed from a moment before when they had been walking in silence.

At the mention of the servant, Adelaide chanced another glance against her better judgment. Sure enough, blood was pooled around a mangled body that was twisted and disfigured, splayed out across Adelaide's bedroom floor. And it was only fortunate that Marie's head was turned away so that Adelaide could not see it. It was only thanks to the clothing and the shade of the person's hair that Adelaide was sure that Claude was right – no doubt that it was Marie... murdered.

In a wave of memories that plagued her from the past – the very reason that she hated the rain – Adelaide ended up collapsing on her knees. The tears came despite her trying to will them back. And she sobbed into her hands as Claude stood silently beside her. At first, the thought of Marie being gone did not hit her. Once it did, her throat erupted into a violent scream as she stood and started trying to run through the doorway.

Claude caught her with one hand on her head, redirecting her panicky motion. She ended up colliding with his chest. "Wait just a moment," he commanded her – as though he had the authority to do so. Regardless, Adelaide had not the mind to tell him off for it. "The patrol has apparently not come through here yet."

She clutched at the fabric of his jacket. Human warmth was enough to give her some solace. There was something soothing about Claude's presence, about the comfort that he did not entirely give nor refuse to her. Adelaide pressed her face into his chest as she sobbed, inhaling his scent. It seemed to have an almost mesmerizing effect on her. While clinging to him, she did not notice as he flagged down some guards to take care of the situation.

It was not until they set off down the hallway again and she was pulled away from his body that Adelaide had any cognition of what was happening. He was holding her forearm, guiding her along. Not quite forcefully but enough that she could not call him gentle, either. There was a focused look in his eyes.

"W-where are we going?" Adelaide ventured the question tentatively.

"Somewhere safe," was all he told her. Through the darkness, he guided their way with a candlelight. Guards brushed by them as news spread of the murder and the king was roused to deal with the situation – a serious breach in the security of the castle. It was assumed, given the location of the murder, that the culprit was after Adelaide's life.

Waiting for instructions from the king, Claude relocated Adelaide to the library. She immediately took seat in one of the chairs, although her whole body was trembling as perspiration trickled down the length of her pale face. Adelaide tried desperately to shunt out the image already burned into her mind of Marie's mangled body.

After she had been seated, Claude moved to leave, but Adelaide caught his sleeve. "It's... not nice to leave a lady... in distress." She tried her best to be convincing, and whether she succeeded or not – Adelaide was not sure. The fact that, despite seeming to debate it in his head, Claude decided to stay, seemed to signify that she was triumphant.

They spent what seemed like forever in that library. Adelaide held tightly onto Claude's sleeve, even after he acquiesced and stayed by her side willingly. The dark-haired tutor spoke not a word to her, nor did she venture a pointless conversation with him. They stayed in the presence of each other without speech.

At least until Adelaide had enough composure – regained herself enough – to be able to speak without sounding like a petrified fool. "The culprit," she remarked in a quiet voice that cracked despite her calm facade, "I hope they find him."

Those gold eyes of his peered down at her for a moment. His lips twitched, almost as though he was about to say something, but the moment was interrupted as the doors creaked open. The person who entered was, much to Adelaide's surprise, her brother and not a messenger.

"Excuse me." Claude gently reached down and pulled her fingers away from his sleeve, then he trailed across the floor. He and the prince spoke in whispers. They cast only the occasional glance at Adelaide during the length of their conversation. Whatever it was they were talking about seemed to be in regards to her. Of paramount concern to them, more than to Adelaide herself, was probably who would take over Marie's position. Had she been in the mind to contest whomever was appointed, Adelaide would have surely asked for one of the elderly women that had worked around the castle for as long as Marie.

The choice, however, was not her own. Although her father – the king – had always been the one to make direct decisions about Marie, it strangely seemed as though that responsibility had been passed over to her brother as of late.

"Adelaide," George called to her from the doorway to get her attention.

Her head jerked as she answered him, lifting herself up from the chair. Adelaide still had enough sense to bow in his presence. "Yes, your highness?" Again her voice carried that unfamiliar tremor that signified how unnerved she was from the whole ordeal. And the last person she wanted to reveal any measure of emotion to was her brother.

"For the moment, I shall appoint Sir Claude the duty of guarding you. He will also temporarily take over Marie's position." The way he said it was as though he did not even bother to consider all of the odd jobs that Marie held – including assisting Adelaide in dressing and undressing. For something so vital to go under his radar... Although, in the back of her mind, Adelaide understood that this was somehow a calculated move.

It stunk of political motives somehow. Her brother never took any action that did not directly benefit him. Yet in her disadvantaged state, she could not give thought to how her brother was manipulating a tragedy to use her as a pawn in his game. And while she looked uneasily at Claude, uncomfortable with the decision handed down by her brother, she could not contest it. She wanted to argue. She wanted to tell her brother what a conniving bastard he was to use her own misfortune to try to gain further control over her. But their social position did not allow her to do so.

He was the son of the king and the queen, royalty running through his blood thicker than tar. She was an illegitimate child fostered out of marriage in an illicit relationship, brought to the castle only to serve the whims of the people therein.

"Thank you." Gratitude that was not earned was what she was forced to give to him, bowing her head submissively although she wanted nothing more than to spit at his feet.

"Your quarters have been relocated to the other side of the castle for your own protection. You will be staying closer to me and I will ensure my own personal guards double patrols to keep you safe." He said it with a grim sense of satisfaction, head held high as though he felt triumphant. "I will allow Claude to escort you there momentarily, as soon as the servants are done preparing. I will take my leave, then."

Although young, although naïve, Adelaide had her immediate suspicions that the person behind Marie's death was George himself. Part of her wanted to believe that, as her brother, he would never make such a move. Yet it was clear that he benefited the most from it. With Marie out of the way, he appointed one of his own personally hired men to oversee her care. It started with Claude being a tutor, and now he was everything. Then George had robbed her of her freedom in the castle, placing her room next to his to keep an extra eye out for her.

What Adelaide feared most was not her lack of freedom but how this would play into the larger scheme of things. Royalty and nobles were always cutthroat. She had been taught that at any early age. Only now was she beginning to understand just to what extent they would go to.

It was possible – certainly possible – for her to run to the king, her father, and relay her suspicions about George's actions. But being the crown prince and the heir to the kingdom, he had far more pull than she did. Even if her father suspected he had a hand in Marie's death, it would be overlooked because of his position. Doubt would not be cast on him.

"You are pale."

She blinked away her thoughts and jerkily glanced up at Claude. He had come to stand just in front of her, regarding her condescendingly with those golden eyes of his. "Ah, yes... I just need some rest."

"Your room will be ready shortly."

Adelaide swallowed back her ill-thoughts. Looking at the positive, she supposed that at least her brother had deemed her a worthy enough piece to keep by his side instead of discarding. If he was indeed the person behind Marie's death, then by placing Adelaide so close, he put the responsibility of her well-being on his own shoulders. If she died in his care, it would only shame him. So at least he was not out to do away with her. Although Adelaide was not sure that being used by him was that much better.

A messenger came to announce when the preparations of her room had been completed. At that time, Claude acted as her guide to take her to her newly relocated quarters. It was, indeed, right beside her brother's. It put her ill at ease, though she took some comfort in knowing she would be safe.

While she might have expected the walls and floors to be barren, they had been prepared well in advance. It was obvious that George had some expectation of this happening. In a matter of a few hours, all the upholstery and the grandiosely decorated carpets and wall-hangings could not have been so delicately prepared. This was not thrown together – it was planned.

"Do you require assistance with your gown?"

Her face flushed deep red as she whipped around to respond to Claude's words. "I-I'm a lady, you know!"

Knowledge of that did not seem to register in his head. He showed no signs, given his facial expression, that he was at all abashed to have made such a comment. Perhaps it was because, although Adelaide clung to the title of lady, he did not see her as one.

"Never mind it," she muttered beneath her breath as she gave him a dismissive motion. "Although it is improper, because my brother has left you in my care, I ask that you loosen my corset for me and then take your leave." Adelaide turned her back to him and pulled the locks of her long, golden hair over her shoulder as she waited.

His gloved hands quickly, albeit gently, went to the task she had assigned. And it proved to be most embarrassing and highly inappropriate, at least to Adelaide's standards. But once he was finished, Claude quietly took his leave. He exchanged no further words with her before he nudged the doors shut. There was a faint murmur of footsteps that quickly faded in the distance but that was the last she heard of him.

Left by herself, it took Adelaide a much longer time than she supposed it would have if Marie had been there to help her. And after she had her evening gown on, she tiredly collapsed onto her bed and crawled under the silk duvet, snuggling against her well-fluffed pillows. Just as sleep came, so did the tears. Adelaide cried herself to sleep without even noticing the rain beating down upon the windows.

For several hours she slept soundly, until a commotion just outside her door woke her up. At first, Adelaide tried to fall back asleep, but the whole castle had become noisy. Restless because of the earlier events, she finally gave up and threw her comforter aside. Maneuvering through the dark, she managed to slide off her bed and with her bare feet, traveled across the carpets strewn across the floor. As she approached the door, she thought she heard a sound from near her window.

Hesitantly, she turned to look. What immediately greeted her – what she had seen several times before – were those golden eyes. Through the darkness they gleamed like two orbs. All of the oxygen in her lungs escaped out of her mouth as she gasped and turned her back toward the exit. Several stumbling steps backward and she bumped against the oak doors, which hardly gave way under her meager weight.

For an entire minute she just stared down those eyes. Whatever that thing was that was watching her, it did not move even as its pupils followed her as she started back toward her bed. It had to be well aware that she was conscious of its presence. Yet it made no move to hide itself nor to run away as she tentatively approached the window.

Once she was close enough to the glass, those gleaming eyes were only a few feet away. And yet, even as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could not make out the silhouette of whatever it was that those golden orbs belonged to. Was it a figment of her imagination or...?

She opened the windows without regard for the fear bubbling up from the pit of her stomach. Curiosity had taken over. And although the force of the wind, blowing the windows open as she unlatched them, nearly knocked her down, Adelaide fought against it to stretch her hand out and reach toward those eyes.

Her fingertips briefly brushed against something... Furry and yet prickly? It was a strange sensation that was foreign to her. There was nothing Adelaide could liken it to. And whatever that thing was, as soon as it felt her touch, it darted off in a blur. While it was difficult for her to follow with her eyes, she caught a brief glimpse of its retreating figure as it passed a distant, lit-up window. Eight legs and a robust body... A spider?

* * *

**Author's Note: **Obviously I was not any faster than updating despite being out of school and now I'm about to go right back in. But inspiration came from somewhere so I am glad I was finally able to update. Thanks for all the kind reviews and I hope you enjoyed. :)


	4. Always Watching

**Chapter O4 – Always Watching**

Adelaide had confined herself to her bed, hidden beneath the folds of her comforter. She dared not even peek her head out all night. Since her fear never abated, not even well into the morning when she could hear the birds outside her window, she never managed so much as a wink of sleep.

And even when she heard a knock upon her door, she fluttered not an eyelash at the noise. Nor did she answer it with a spoken word. She stayed, trembling, underneath her blanket. Everything that happened the night before was still churning in her head, the images rolling through her mind in replay.

Naturally, she was too preoccupied to hear the door crack open, so of course she did not notice the ensuing footsteps, echoing off the nearly empty walls. It was no doubt Claude approaching – coming to retrieve her. The king was supposed to be leaving, after all. Her duty was to see her father off like the loyal daughter she was.

"My lady."

Those gloved hands of his were reaching to peel away her duvet, she was sure of it. She could see the shadow of his arms outstretching over the top of her. Adelaide took a sharp inhale, nearly choking as she threw the blanket aside. Although she had expected to catch him off-guard, the black-haired man seemed unfazed, even as she directed a piercing glare in his direction.

"I could not sleep all night," she declared, as though he was somehow at fault for her inconvenience.

Yet regardless of the absurdity of that declaration, Claude merely folded his hands over his abdomen and regarded her with his usual bored gaze. Those gold eyes of his nearly bore a hole right through her forehead. "That is regrettable."

"You don't care," she accused testily. The foul mood Adelaide was experiencing, she attributed entirely to her lack of sleep. And she knew she would later regret being snappy. Of all people, he deserved it the least. If there was a person to whom she should direct her wrath, it was surely her "brother." The prince was detestable but doubly so after the previous night's events.

"Regardless of my sympathies, I have been instructed to ready you to observe the king's departure." Those sharp features of his were set in a solemn expression. It unnerved her that much more, to see for herself how Claude was yet another pawn of her brother's – set forth to act as a control over her. Just another way of supervising her every move. Perhaps this earned him some of her chagrin.

"I can ready myself."

Rather than seeming skeptical, it was as though Claude outright ignored her assertion. He turned his back toward her and gathered her garments, laying them out on her bed. Then he approached her, as though fully prepared to start undressing her himself.

Blushing furiously the moment she realized how close his hands were and how his figure towered so greatly over her, Adelaide promptly batted him away. "I-I told you, I am a lady, Sir! I do not require the assistance of a man."

For a moment he stared at her, as though evaluating the merit of her protest. At last, Claude lowered his hands. "Very well," he conceded, "I will send for a maid." He whipped around and with a flutter of coattails, he disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared in the first place.

Left by herself, the golden-haired female huffed to herself as she began undressing, allowing her gown to drop to the floor as she tried to maneuver herself into the corset – as though she had any clue what she was doing (which she did not). In the end, Adelaide was forced to loiter half-naked in the middle of her room until a maid finally came and rapped upon the door.

With the help of another _female_, rather than the callous and unfeeling Claude, she was able to prepare herself relatively quickly. Nevertheless, when she emerged from her room, the golden-eyed man ushered her to hurry to the front gate. He walked at such a quick pace that she was nearly sprinting to keep up with him.

"I should have protested this," she lamented along the way, purposefully loud enough for Claude to hear her. "I should have insisted that my brother find a proper _woman_ for the job." Although, had he been female, she would have still disliked him.

It was in the courtyard that they lined up along with the other family and servants to bid the king farewell on his journey. Although he made this trek to Hanover annually, there was something about this time that left Adelaide feeling a little uneasy. Perhaps she could attribute it to the lack of sleep, or the unsettling belief that some monster lurked within the castle. Maybe that was all her imagination. Either way, the knots in her stomach left her feeling nauseous.

Forcing a smile at her father as he passed by in his carriage proved difficult. Yet she managed to chime in with the others, bidding him a safe journey. But her hand felt unusually heavy as she lifted it to give him a wave. Perhaps it was the circumstances surrounding Marie's death that weighed down on her.

In her preoccupation, Adelaide scarcely noticed that Claude was watching observantly just a few feet behind her. Those golden eyes of his, framed by those reflective glasses – they seemed to be trained on her.

After seeing to the departure of her father, Adelaide found herself escorted back to the study. She protested the whole way, insisting that the rumblings of her stomach far outweighed the import of morning lessons. Claude seemed his usual unaccommodating self by largely overlooking the validity of her argument. Nonetheless, once she was begrudgingly seated amongst the stuffy old book cases with her lesson material spread out on a table in front of her, Claude quietly informed her that he would retrieve some tea and a snack to tide her over until noon. She would have had breakfast, he reasoned, if she had not "dilly-dallied" so much earlier.

In the back of her head, Adelaide entertained the idea of sneaking out while he was gone to the kitchen. Considering that it would probably take him at least ten minutes to make the trip there and return, it gave her plenty of time to run off to some corner of the castle where he would not be able to find her.

Despite how cunning she thought herself, when Claude exited she heard the soft click of the doors locking behind him. He probably already read her mind and figured she would try to escape. Slimy snake.

She crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair, idly staring up at the ceiling. There were certainly times before when she felt caged within the castle, subject to the whims of people who claimed she had a "higher purpose than frolicking around with servants and goofing off in the garden." Adelaide hardly bought that this higher purpose meant anything more than being a tool of power for her brother. Even Claude – _especially_ Claude – probably only saw her as a valuable pawn for her older brother.

Letting a frustrated sigh fall from her lips, Adelaide suddenly bolted up from her chair, nearly knocking it back. She traipsed across the intricate rugs and made her way over to the windows. Someone had latched them securely but she managed to pry them open. The wave of fresh air that hit her face was sobering. Far more refreshing than the morning tea that Claude intended to bring her. Adelaide took several gulps of air as though she had been suffocating before opening the windows.

As she stood there staring out at the expanse of rolling emerald hills, she pondered to herself. A devious idea entered her mind; a way to foil Claude's strict itinerary. At that same moment there was another subtle click before the double doors behind her suddenly swung open. Then followed the clinking of porcelain as Claude wheeled in a small cart with some pastries and tea, just as he had promised.

She smiled pleasantly at him, the first sign that something was awry. Claude immediately quirked a brow in response. Clearly he had already become accustomed to her tricky nature.

"Thank you," Adelaide told him, as though she felt any gratitude at his actions. She rounded the table, leaving the windows wide open behind her. Once she had settled in her chair, Claude set down a cup of fresh tea for her. Graciously, she picked the cup up, cradling it against the palm of her hand while sipping away at it. The piping hot liquid starkly contrasted with the cool wind blowing in through the open window.

Perhaps Claude noticed that the cold was flushing her skin. After setting her snack in front of her, he moved to close the windows. Adelaide glared at him disapprovingly but did not make a motion to protest.

The young girl kept her lips pursed even after the windows were securely latched and Claude had settled in a seat across from her. The stoic man did not even steal a glance at her; he had his eyes directed toward the books laid out in front of him. He fiddled with them, flipping through the pages and occasionally pausing to read as he waited for her to finish her tea.

Just to spite him, Adelaide purposefully prolonged finishing the bittersweet liquid, even as it cooled and the taste soured on her tongue. She wondered if these actions would provoke any kind of reaction from him, but alas he remained as indifferent as ever.

"Say, Claude," she called out to him without the usual respectable 'sir' or 'mister'.

Those sharp eyes of his suddenly snapped up, glaring at her through those square-shaped spectacles of his. He paused to readjust them on the bridge of his nose before answering in that monotone voice of his. "Yes?"

That glare of his was silencing and she gulped, hesitating before setting her teacup down. "Ah, well, I know I have been slacking with my studies a bit, but... Do you suppose you could get permission from my brother for me to go out horse riding later if I'm on my best behavior and put my utmost effort into studying?"

He studied her for a long moment, as though trying to decide if she harbored an ulterior motive and whether the request was even worth consideration. To Adelaide's immense relief, he gave an accepting nod. "Very well."

Perhaps she should have known better than to think that Claude would agree to her terms so easily. Apparently his definition of putting her utmost effort into studying far differed from her definition, because for the next five hours – with only a brief interval where they paused for one of the most disappointing lunches she had ever eaten – he became an absolute slave driver.

However when the time came and evening was beginning to approach, Claude finally closed Adelaide's last lesson book and announced that he would allow her to use the last hour of bright daylight to ride to her heart's content. Of course that came with a condition.

"I will be accompanying you."

At first she glared at him annoyance, outraged that he thought she was such a juvenile that she needed an adult to oversee her every movement but then Adelaide realized how she could use this to her advantage. Little did he know how much time she had spent mastering horseback. If she broke out into a full gallop with her steed, there was no way that he would manage to keep up. Adelaide was positive that she was the better rider, given her experience.

"Alright, Sir, I will agree to this condition of yours." That pleasant smile on her face was just as alarming as before and she accepted all too readily. It heightened Claude's suspicion, evident from the way his eyebrows peaked at her as though he doubted his ears.

With the details worked out, Adelaide led the way to the stables with a skip in her step. She held her head high, humming to herself all the while. Even though she suspected that the out-of-tune melody disturbed Claude's ears, he never spoke a word to suggest as much. Yet every action of hers was meticulously thought out with the intention to get under his skin. She was growing desperately curious to see some expression on his face other than that usual deadpan look of his.

"Sorry, my lady, but your father took your favorite horse with him for his journey. All that is left is a couple old mares but I think they will suit you just fine–"

"What about my brother's horse?" she interrupted during her conversation with the stable master. He was an elderly man with a gentle disposition that had catered to her since she was young. The way he treated her mirrored the favoritism she received from her father, no doubt spoiling her personality further.

The panicked expression that he gave her, however, when she mentioned the prince's horse was tell-tale. "My apologies, Miss, but I don't believe His Highness would approve of–"

Claude waved his hand in a dismissive gesture as if to allay the stable master's concern. "Please listen to the princess's request." The doubtful look on the other man's face prompted Claude to provide further reassurance. "I am sure His Highness would have no qualms with his beloved younger sibling borrowing his horse for a ride. No harm will come to either of them."

Although the stable master still seemed reluctant to oblige the two, he gave a resigned sigh. "Very well, Sir, but I hope you are well prepared if there should be any consequences." He said that with some measure of fear.

Everything turned out better than Adelaide could have possibly planned for. She settled into the saddle mounted on the back of her brother's stunning dappled white steed. It stood in stark contrast with the old, plain brown mare that Claude came sauntering out of the stables on.

"I hope you can keep up," Adelaide snarked at him, chortling quietly under her breath. Never would she have expected him to be so gullible.

"Don't ride ahead," he commanded her knowingly – as though he was naïve enough to actually believe that she would heed such a warning.

Once they had ventured a fair distance from the stable, Adelaide slowed her horse to a halt. Claude rode up beside her, glancing suspiciously as she adjusted her position – swinging a leg over the other side of the horse so that she had a leg on either side, straddling the animal's back. Despite his insistence that she ride "as a lady should ride," Adelaide had no intention of sitting on a horse with as much power as her brother's and just riding along at a slow-paced trot like one of those weak-willed court ladies.

Before Claude could edge in a word of protest and rebuke her for her actions, Adelaide snapped the reigns on her horse dug the heels of her shoes into its sides. "Let's go!" she exuberantly commanded.

The sound of its hooves beating against the grass reverberated in her ears. The wind whipped through her hair, stinging at her already rosy cheeks. All of the noise drowned out whatever nonsense Claude was calling out to her. No doubt with these actions she had finally managed to crack that annoying facade of his that led her to believe he felt no emotion. He had to be annoyed now. He had to be about ready to give up being her tutor. Where the maze had not been capable of working, this surely would.

As she ducked into the wooded area surrounding the hills around the castle, Adelaide heard the sound of pursuit dying down behind her. Had he already given up? Surely he knew that it would be impossible for his horse to keep up with hers. Given that, on top of that, Adelaide knew the terrain like the back of her hand, she was at an obvious advantage.

Navigating a little deeper in – just enough that she was sure Claude had lost all sight of her – Adelaide slowed her horse to a slow walk. "No sense exhausting her," she said to herself. "I can just linger out here for half an hour while Claude tries desperately to search for me then come back out. He should be panicked enough by then to give up."

Just to be sure that he wouldn't locate her, Adelaide started to direct her steed just a little farther in. It proved a boring ride, if only because she took it slow enough so as to keep enough on the edge of the woods that she could easily find her way back out.

Then, all of a sudden, amongst the bushes behind her, something suddenly moved. She saw it on peripherally but the rustling was enough to spook the horse. Adelaide caught it just in time, taking tight hold of the reins and yanking back to stop the startled steed from taking off. "Easy girl, easy." Adelaide received a perturbed grunt from the animal in response.

She paused, curiosity getting the better of her, and glanced back in the direction of the movement. While Adelaide expected to see nothing, she was shocked to see those two golden eyes again. And this time, in the dim light streaming through the yellowing leaves, she could see the outline of its robust, dark figure.

"S-S-Sp... spider..." There was a tremor in her voice as she managed to eke out the word. She blinked once, hoping it would wipe away the terrifying sight from her vision but alas – it did not.

In her own shock, numb to all other stimuli, Adelaide was not able to react fast enough when her horse suddenly reared with an echoing cry. She only felt herself flying through the air, reeling from the sudden propulsion. Her hair fluttered around her as she fell backwards. Moments later came the agonizing crash as her body met the ground with a loud thud. The jerking motion and the impact left her choking as all of the oxygen flooded from her lungs.

All coherent thoughts were scrambled from the fall and it took a moment for Adelaide to readjust and realize what had happened. By then her horse had already taken off in the distance, leaving only dust behind. She scrambled to get up but suddenly remembered what it was that she had seen behind her.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she stole a glance behind her to see if it was still there. To her relief, it was not. Whatever it was – a spider, she thought – it had taken off in the commotion. Perhaps it had been scared off as well.

Just as she was breathing that sigh of relief, however, she turned her head forward and recognized those golden eyes just a few feet in front of her. Too close; far too close for comfort. She let out a shrill scream as she crawled backward, desperately trying to put some distance between herself and the foreign creature that had suddenly managed to sneak up on her.

Yet just as she retreated, it advanced. Those eight, long hairy legs all twitched as the beast inched toward her. Its size was massive in terms of any spider that Adelaide had ever seen in her life. She was sure this was something straight out of a nightmare.

"C...Claude!" the name tore through her throat and came out as a bloodcurdling scream as she jolted up and started a full-fledged sprint in the opposite direction of the eerie creature. "Claude! Claude!" Adelaide ran as hard as she could, tripping and stumbling along the way, both because of the fauna and her attire that was ill-equipped for such terrain. The whole way she screamed his name, desperately hoping he was searching for her and would hear her calls.

As she tripped on a tree root, Adelaide was slung to the ground again. Her knees stung and her body ached. More than that, her adrenalin had taken her as far as it could. How long had she been running? How long had she been screaming? Already her voice had grown hoarse and she could no longer find the willpower to scream anymore. Instead of struggling to get up again, she curled in a ball – hugging her knees tight and closing her eyes shut as the tears streamed down her already dirt-covered cheeks. _Just make it stop. Please make it stop. I'll do anything._

"My lady?" Just as she was beginning to lose hope, she heard his voice calling for her in the distance, followed closely by the sound of a neighing horse as the hoof beats grew louder. It was music to her ears.

Yet try as she might to call back, Adelaide's voice only cracked when she tried to use it. So instead she picked herself up. What little endurance she had left began to rapidly dissipate when she managed to stand on those trembling legs of hers. They managed a slowly, clumsy wading-like gait as she tried to move toward the sound of Claude calling out to her.

_Please find me,_ she prayed.

When his horse came darting through the trees, immense relief swept over her. She was not sure if the spider was still in the area or if she had managed to escape it completely but all of that was irrelevant as she found herself staring at Claude's familiar face. He appeared as stoic as ever, unaffected by her appearance even as her rode up straight to her. There wasn't even a hint of concern as he gently dismounted

"My lady." That admonishing gaze of his was a clear indicator that he intended to chide her for her actions, but she didn't give him the opportunity.

Adelaide rushed at him before he had a chance to react and threw her arms around him. "Why did you come so late? Why weren't you here sooner?" She began sobbing against his chest, her entire body trembling from fear, exhaustion, as well as the cold.

Those golden eyes of his just peered down at her without any trace of emotion. His lips moved to speak but perhaps he thought better of it and pursed them. Instead he placed his gloved hands on her shoulders as though to push her away, but Adelaide wouldn't have it. She clung to him like her very life depended on it.

"It's your job to watch me. So don't let me out of your sight from now on. I'll tell my brother if you do!" Adelaide nuzzled her face against his chest to wipe away the tears still falling from the ducts of her eyes. It did not even register to her to be embarrassed about her behavior. All she could think of was how relieved she felt to be with him again – as annoyed as she had been earlier, it was far better to be under his watchful eyes than left alone to the darkness. Perhaps it was also the scent of his clothing that was soothing to her.

"Night will descend soon, My Lady. We need to return to the castle." With that, he withdrew from the embrace she had suddenly thrust upon him. Then, without another word, he reached for her waist and lifted her into the air with such ease that Adelaide wondered what strength he must possess to be able to handle her as though she were a doll. Claude set her up on the saddle of his horse before mounting on behind her. Soon after Adelaide found herself trapped between his arms as he reached for the reigns and gently nudged the horse back toward the castle.

Despite the compromising position, she leaned back into his chest. The warmth it provided brought great reprieve from the cool night's air. The feelings it stirred up were foreign to her. "Claude?" she called out his name before she even realized that it had rolled off her tongue. Perhaps it was because of her delirium.

"Yes?"

"Weren't you worried? Angry? Annoyed?" The more she asked, the quieter her voice grew as though she were afraid of the answer. Adelaide's whole plan had been to drive him off but suddenly she feared her success in that endeavor.

Claude was quiet for a moment as they emerged from the wooded area and begin scaling down the hills back toward the stables. "No," he finally answered after that long period of silence. "I knew I would find you."

Those words, however innocently he had intended them, brought a bright blush to Adelaide's cheeks. "Really? How could you be sure?"

"I'm always watching you, Princess."

That elicited a smile from her, as she well knew that Claude was quite diligent in watching over her. But she was not quite sure why that brought her such unfathomable happiness. It was almost as though, and she shuddered to think it, that she was starting to have feelings for him.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, my deepest apologies for taking so long to update. I am so utterly exhausted I cannot write anymore; I stayed up all night writing this. Hopefully it's coherent. My complete and utter gratitude to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; I would love reviews for this one as well. Now I'm going to go crash for a couple hours... Zzzz...


	5. Hollow

**Chapter O5 – Hollow**

"Marriage?" Her mouth felt dry as she spoke the word, her throat parched like a desert. The arms that were slack at her side trembled as she stared back into the hollow eyes of her older brother – those eyes that carried no sympathy for her, that deigned her as a valuable tool and nothing more. There seemed to be no recognition on his face that he was flippantly deciding her future with no regard for what she desired for herself.

"Yes, it is a favorable arrangement for the kingdom."

That voice of his coldly denied her any right to protest. Yet Adelaide could not bring herself to submissively accept the fate that he had decided for her. So she squeaked out, "What about father?" As though the king would protect her.

"I told you before," the prince responded with some measure of contempt straining his voice, "Just because he is the king, he cannot keep you at his side forever. Even if you are his _favorite_." That last word was said with such venom that when Adelaide tried to swallow the lump forming in the back of her throat, it felt more like she was trying to down a flask of acid.

_I don't want to. I don't want to!_ Those words lingered at the edge of her tongue yet were left unspoken. It was not a princess's place to question the lot given to her in life. Her purpose – the very thing she had been raised for – was to further her brother's position as heir to the throne. _You should feel honored._ That is what she told herself, because those were the words Marie told her. Those were the words of the people of the kingdom. The words of every servant that had ever catered to her whims, reminding her that at the end of the day, she had no free will.

"You may leave."

Hearing that jolted her from her thoughts. Adelaide stared at him for a long moment, her body frozen in place. Her lips quivered as though she might open them to speak out against him. Alas, in her frustrated silence, she grasped at fistfuls of her dress, twisting the fabric between her fingers.

The prince glared back at her expectantly. "You can't possibly be looking to contest the marriage proposal," he said presumptuously, in a tone that brooked no dissent.

That he addressed it so straightforwardly shocked her; Adelaide's neck jerked and she blanched. The way he directed those words toward her was not out of genuine concern for any problems she might have with the proposal. It was a veiled threat. She was not _allowed_ to have any problems with it. As much as she wanted to speak, Adelaide held the words building at the back of her throat and bit down hard on her lip to keep them from spilling out. Mechanically, she shook her head no and with slow, jerky movements, she turned to take her leave.

"We will make it official after the king's return."

If she bit down any harder, Adelaide knew she would break the skin of her lip. But it took every ounce of patience she had – of self-restraint – to keep from turning back around and slapping that cold smile right off of her brother's pale lips. _Bastard. _Yet she did not have the strength to force a smile as she exited his chambers.

As soon as she entered the hallway, Claude was on her heels with his ever somber expression. He did not even take note of the sour look on her face or the way she huffed at him. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to it. Moreover, he was probably already aware of this engagement that her brother had been arranging. She did not even know why she fretted over it; whether he knew or not was irrelevant, it was not as though it affected him in the least.

Frustrated and feeling suffocated, Adelaide stormed down the hallway – opposite the way of her room. She suspected that Claude would call her back or demand she return to her room since it was well enough into the night that she should not be wandering. Yet when she peered back at him to survey his reaction, he seemed to have his lips firmly pursed while following closely behind her.

_Like a watchdog,_ she thought bitterly, realizing that was exactly why Claude had been assigned to her. Yet another ploy for her brother to be able to control another aspect of her life.

"I need some fresh air," she told him finally as they descended the stairs, heading for the ground floor. Had she been by herself, she might have been inclined to feel some fear and paranoia about that enormous monster of a spider that had seemingly been lurking in every dark corner, watching her. With Claude, she felt safe – ironic enough since his own golden eyes mirrored those of the creature she so feared.

"Very well."

Reaching the crisp, cool air outside brought her great relief. After a few deep inhales, she felt somehow rejuvenated – freed from the suffocating feelings that clawed at her mind. Adelaide suddenly felt as though she had regained some clarity from the cloud of oppression that was settling over her, no thanks to her elder brother.

With Claude trailing closely, she made her way to the garden. In the darkness of the night with only the dim silvery rays of the moon to illuminate, it was deafeningly silent. She stared wistfully up at the stars in the sky.

"Do you think if you make a wish on a shooting star, it will come true?" The question spilled out before she could even realize the absurdity of it. Immediately after it was spoken, she pressed her fingers to her lips – mortified that she had even bothered to ask such a thing. Surely Claude would think it ridiculous, too. But when she peered over at him, he seemed to be giving her inquiry a fair assessment.

There was pensive look on his face as he gazed up at the sky. His expression was tinged with something unusual – melancholy? She was not accustomed to seeing any emotion lurking behind that cold facade he wore all of the time. Yet in that single moment he seemed to let it down – honestly contemplating the childish question she had happened to blurt out spur of the moment.

Silence settled between them and Adelaide began to wonder if he had even heard her. Perhaps she had mistaken the thoughtful look on his face. Maybe he had other concerns. That thought was strangely comforting. It might be better if he had never heard her in the first place.

"No," he said finally – the sudden sound of his voice splitting through the quiet night. The answer was less surprising than the delivery, and it earned Claude a curious look. He seemed well aware that she would not accept such a vague answer, so he elaborated. "Wishing is for fools."

"For fools, huh?" Somehow that did not seem like something Claude himself thought, but something he had heard instead. Like he had regurgitated and believed it with the whole of his being, not even bothering question it. "You think that way because wishing will not change anything?"

"Yes."

Straightforward as was his nature. It brought a small smile to her lips. Adelaide had anticipated such an answer from him. "Maybe being a fool is a good thing. If wishing on a star makes one a fool, then that person must also be pure of heart to willingly believe something that others see as a farce. Don't you think?"

"Naive," he admonished critically.

"Wishing is hoping for a miracle. So you do not think miracles are possible?"

The incessant questions earned her a pointed look from Claude that was all too telling. It elicited a muted laugh from Adelaide, followed by a sincere smile. It was one of the rare times she was genuinely happy for his company, despite the knowledge that Claude was fully in line with her brother. Regardless of Claude's affiliation, he had been a shoulder to lean on when she had no one. Having lost Marie and her father's absence – Claude was quite literally all she had left. It made her realize how empty her life had been thus far. Yet it was her brother who had kept her so isolated.

"You should retire for the night."

Perhaps he had noticed that the chill had brought out gooseflesh on her arms. At the thought of it, she rubbed at her arms in hopes of providing her skin some temporary warmth. Despite Claude's urging she was still reluctant to go in. The cool night air was all too comforting. "I'd rather not," she mumbled under her breath.

"The cold is not good for you."

She snorted in laughter. "I refuse to believe you are that concerned about the effect that being out in the cold will have on my health. Or maybe I should say that I believe it inasmuch as you are saying it for my value to my brother and not for me."

"It has nothing to do with that."

That response shocked her. Jaw drawn slightly agape, Adelaide craned her neck to look over at Claude. Perhaps she suspected he would be smirking or have some other indication on his face that he was just pulling her leg but – no, he had his usual deadpan expression. His face did not betray his words. They seemed to be sincere. At the thought of it, her cheeks flared and she hurriedly turned her gaze away.

"Please return to your room for the night."

He certainly made it difficult for her to rebel any further. Adelaide gave a small conceding grunt as she turned to head back in the castle. The sound of his footsteps as he followed behind her echoed in her ears. She pressed her palm against her chest as they walked, hoping her rapidly beating heart would eventually steady. Yet the more conscious she became of the fact that Claude was just behind her, the less likely that seemed.

When they arrived back at the door to her room, Adelaide peered back over her shoulder. Claude immediately took a sweeping bow with great flourish. Then with the fluttering of his coattails, he turned to leave.

"W-wait!" she hastily called after him.

He looked back at her questioningly, one brow subtly quirked.

"Um... that is..." Even though she knew that she was stammering, which made things that much worse, it was difficult to just say what she wanted to say. The request seemed absurd and she had chided herself for how childish it was to begin with, but...

"Yes?"

He was prompting her to spit it out, and even though his expression gave no indication, she suspected he was growing impatient with her. Finally she took a sharp inhale before blurting it out. "Please stay with me tonight."

The way it came out was certainly not as she had intended but it had an obvious, startling affect on the gentleman standing just a short distance away from her. First he blinked several times then his eyes widened in realization and his lips creased in a frown. "Pardon?"

"That's not what I..." Completely humiliated by her own lack of eloquence, Adelaide found herself angrily grinding her teeth together in frustration. "Please don't misunderstand me. On nights where it was going to storm, Marie would stay with me until I fell asleep. And it's... I'm not a child, but..." Flustered, her voice trailed off as she chanced glance in Claude's direction to assess his reaction.

He seemed to gain some relief from her explanation which allowed him to resume his usual nonchalance. That frown disappeared, much to Adelaide's relief. "I understand. Very well." Not that he seemed terribly pleased to have to honor such a request, but it certainly did not seem as though he could bring himself to ignore it either. There was also no indication that he was going to ridicule her for the absurdity of the request at least.

In reality it was not the storms she feared the most. It was those glowing golden eyes that lurked out of her window. Whether they were really there or not, she always saw them in her dreams. If she could really have her way, she would order Claude to keep watch in her room all night.

"Ah, thank you." Nervously she offered him a small smile before turning back toward the doors leading into her bedroom. "Just a moment, then. I will change quickly. I apologize for this inconvenience."

"Do not mind it."

Whether he really meant that or not, she was still very grateful. Perhaps there was a small underlying motive in all of it as well. Lately she had found herself coming up with even the tiniest of excuses just to spend more time with Claude – as though it was possible to do so to begin with. The two of them were together practically from sun up to sun down. He had made it a point to completely replace Marie and any other servants that had catered to Adelaide. At first she had kept her guard up because of his affiliation with her brother, but increasingly she found herself accepting Claude despite that. Even then, she realized that could be her brother's intention – to gain her trust through Claude.

"I'm finished," she said in a muted voice as she popped her head outside of the door to beckon him inside.

He obediently entered the room as she trailed over to her bed and tucked herself beneath the warmth of the duvet. Claude lingered by the doorway, standing rigidly with his arms kept firmly against his sides. If Adelaide did not know him any better, she might have suspected that he was nervous – but more likely he was reinforcing that this was merely his duty that he was fulfilling. Maybe it was his way of keeping a firm distance between the two of them.

Still, even as stiff and business-like as he was, his presence brought great comfort to her. For the longest time she stared at him from where she was huddled against her pillow. Then, as though weighted down by lead, her eyes began to droop. She struggled to stay awake but when she could fight sleep no longer, it swept her away – though fortunately to a dream state without the probing golden eyes of a foreign creature.

—

"I would like to go for a short walk before we continue."

That statement earned her the probing, questioning gaze of Claude who seemed to regard her as though he thought she must be ill for making such an out-of-character suggestion. More to the point, he seemed to have been taken aback all morning because Adelaide had genuinely focused on their lessons without any qualms. In fact, for the past several days she had been increasingly cooperative. Perhaps it made him uneasy because he was suspicious enough of her to think she had something up her sleeve.

Regardless of whatever paranoia Claude was experiencing, a lofty grin stretched across Adelaide's face. " I think I have been accommodating to your strict teaching methods. So it should not be too much to ask for short break to get some fresh air, right?"

His head cocked back. "Very well."

Leaving the stuffy study and venturing out to the gardens, where the flowers were blossoming gloriously – still covered in fresh morning dew – was somehow rejuvenating for Adelaide. Concerns about her engagement still lingered in the back of her mind but she had tried her best not to pay them much heed. Her life had been determined for her before she had even been born, after all. It was not so strange. Fretting about it would do no good.

Lost in thought, she found herself lingering in front of a few freshly budding roses. Perhaps it was because she had not really been paying attention that she had pricked her fingers on one of the many thorns. It barely registered until red liquid came bubbling up from the small wound inflicted on her hand. Adelaide merely watched in silence as the blood overflowed and trickled between the cracks of her other fingers, dripping against the green leaves below.

Claude had apparently been looking elsewhere, but she caught him peering over obliquely. No doubt that her injury had caught his attention – it did not take but a moment until he came striding over toward her. Gently he reached over to grasp her wrist, bringing her hand toward him. He dipped his other hand into his jacket and produced a handkerchief.

"You should be more attentive."

"You mean I should be careful because a lady's hands are valuable?" A self-deprecating smile surfaced as she retracted her hand from his, the handkerchief still firmly wrapped around her fingers to stymie the bleeding.

Claude stared at her for a long moment before dropping his hands back to his sides. His lips twitched as though he thought to speak but the words never came. Perhaps it was because he could not deny that she had spoken the truth, however accusatory she had sounded.

"I am going to be engaged soon and then married. You heard it from my brother, I assume?"

His brows furrowed. "Yes, I have heard." He picked those words with careful consideration. There was a strange cautiousness that he had begun to exhibit around her. Uncanny considering his usual straightforward personality seemed to never take into account the other person.

"Tell me, Sir, what do you think of things like love? Where my older brother would say such that such an emotion does not belong in conversations among royalty, I would not exist if not for the love my father held for my mother." Indeed, it was for that very reason that she earned the spite of her brother. Between his mother and their father, there had existed no love. Yet between Adelaide's mother and their father, love had budded where it should not have.

The expression on Claude's face was telling; he had no interest in this conversation. Perhaps he thought her mentioning love was merely lamentation that she would never be granted the opportunity to experience and enjoy it, considering that she had to fulfill an arranged marriage. Though she had suspected it equally possible that he would lecture her that she could just as easily fall in love with her betrothed. But he offered her no words.

"It would have been nice if, having had the rest of my life chosen for me already, I could have at least made the decision of who I marry." She gazed wistfully at the blooming roses. Even they seemed to exert more control over themselves – over when they budded and how glorious they were when they did so – than she was able to.

"Humans are born alone and die alone," Claude remarked finally. The conversation of love seemed to make him uneasy – no, that was not the right word. More to the point, he seemed completely distanced from it, as though he could not fathom where Adelaide's concerns had come from. It seemed like he could not even begin to understand why she worried about love or choosing who to marry. Such a thing apparently did not hold the least bit of import in his mind.

"Then at least we can be with other people when we are alive, right?"

That earned her a thoughtful look from him. Even though he did not seem to agree with her assessment, he also seemed to acknowledge that there was some merit to her words. "Perhaps."

"Has there not been anyone that you were happy to be around?"

"Happy," he echoed the word. It did not seem like he could fathom happiness any more than love.

Adelaide's lips folded in an upward crease. "You do not have to look so confused about it; it is not so complicated that it requires much thought. It is as simple as wanting to see someone, enjoying their company, wishing to spend more time with them. It cannot be that you have never experienced this?"

"No. I have not."

An exasperated sigh – somehow she expected that kind of answer from him. "I see."

His brows peaked. "Are you disappointed?" It was the first time – at least, as far as Adelaide could recall – that Claude had actually deigned to ask such a question of her. Certainly it was not spoken out of concern for her opinion of him. Maybe it was curiosity although that seemed equally unlikely. Try as she might to understand, there was no way of guessing what had spurred him to inquire.

Adelaide regarded him quizzically. "Disappointed? Of course not. Maybe you experience happiness differently than I do. Maybe you have not realized it yet. I think my brother must experience happiness when he does not have to be around me. So for him it is the absence of an annoying presence." She laughed sardonically; though she realized that she was more or less babbling to herself at that point.

"I see."

"Thank you for this, by the way." She gave a nod to the handkerchief on her hand.

"You should have the doctor look at it later."

Even though she thought to immediately dismiss that as nonsense, Adelaide was more content to take Claude's words as concern for her – even if that was not how they were intended.

For a while longer they lingered in the garden. There was not another word spoken for that time. Silence settled between them and both were content to leave it. The air need not be burdened with words when they could enjoy the peacefulness of each other's company without them.

Yet they could not loiter for too long. The sun was quickly ascending into the middle of the sky and dipping toward the other horizon. There was still her afternoon lessons to complete. So before Claude had to prod her, Adelaide made the suggestion that they return to the study. He, of course, obliged immediately. Together they worked well into the evening, past the usual hour that Adelaide was intended to retire. Perhaps it was because she found herself, for the first time, genuinely interested in the material Claude had to teach her. (More likely that she was just enjoying his company enough that she did not want to break away.)

But alas, even though Claude probably appreciated her enthusiasm for learning, he would not let her work well into the wee hours of the night. On a night where the moon was hidden behind ominous clouds, the darkness spread invasively through the study. They had already lit several candles around the table and yet it became increasingly hard to make out the words on the pages when the shadows danced across them.

"You should retire for the night."

Giving a resigned sigh, Adelaide conceded and the two headed for her room. The castle that night was unusually quiet – more so than usual. It made her feel a little uneasy, like a bad premonition. Perhaps it was silly superstition but she could not shake the feeling. Fear was coiling around in her stomach as she paused in front of her door.

Claude stood silently behind her, candle in hand to provide the light that had guided their way.

She hesitated for a moment before opening her door. "Just a moment and then I'll –"

"I will not be able to stay with you tonight," he interrupted abruptly.

That caught her by surprise and only served to heighten her anxieties. "You... why?"

Almost apologetically, he dipped his body down in a shallow bow. "I have some things to attend to."

From his vague answer she could easily infer that her brother had given him orders for something, or had otherwise heard about her using Claude to alleviate her sleeping difficulties and wished to put a stop to what he would no doubt deem "childish behavior." Adelaide frowned with displeasure.

"Please excuse me."

"Fine," she grumbled in disappointment. Both because she was feeling more uneasy than usual, and because she did greatly appreciate having Claude around her as much as possible. Whether he knew it or not, he had created for himself a spot in her heart that could not be easily replaced. Even if their time together had been considerably short.

"Good night." With those departing words, he turned and left with the flutter of coattails as he strode down the hallway, putting increasing distance between the two of them.

Adelaide reluctantly turned in for the night. She tried not to chance a glance over toward the window, for fear that she might see those eyes and that creature. Yet what concerned her more than that was what her brother could be planning. Was he trying to pry Claude away from her too, now that she had become attached to him? Disgruntled, she closed her eyes and vowed to speak with her father about her concerns as soon as he returned. Only another week, she suspected, and he would be home. Perhaps less than that.

Although she drifted off to that reassuring thought, it was only a few hours later when commotion broke out in the castle and she was roused from bustling noise just outside her door. Hair disheveled from tossing and turning and tired circles clinging just beneath her eyes, she grudgingly shuffled toward the door through the darkness.

What was all the clamor about?

Exasperated with the noise, she peeked her head out of the door, just in time to see a servant scrambling past. Adelaide wasted no time in calling out to him. "Hey! What is with all of this commotion? It is still the middle of the night, is it not?"

The burly man was quite literally out of breath as he paused to face her, face completely blanched. "Th-the king," he rasped out with watery eyes and a cracked voice. "The king has died."

Those words hit her like a punch to the stomach. Her throat felt oddly dry and scratchy all of the sudden, her chest hollow as she struggled to grasp the meaning of those words. "Dead?" Adelaide echoed in disbelief.

Impossible.

"H-he was on his way back to Hanover and there was an accident..."

Her face drained of all color as she realized what the man was babbling on about. Yet there was something that weighed on mind more than the fact that her father could be dead. More than that was the very real possibility that her brother had orchestrated the whole thing.

What she feared the most was that it was no accident.

No, more likely it had been planned. And with her father gone, that meant her brother would be ascended to the throne.

Adelaide's eyes widened in horror as she took in the very real possibility that her only salvation in life, the one barricade that kept her from being pawned off completely like a chess piece, had been taken away from her.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So this came out a little slower than I had hoped for but faster than I had feared. Hope you guys enjoyed. Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming. I do very much love reading the feedback even if I don't have much time to respond to it. Please know that I read and thoroughly appreciate each review.


	6. Suspicion

**Chapter O6 - Suspicion**

Just a little farther. She gritted her teeth as she leaned just half an inch forward, her fingers a hair's breadth away from grazing the spine of a book she had been eyeing. Since it sat upon the highest shelf, Adelaide had found herself retrieving a chair just to make up the height difference. However, given the sheer size of the castle library, it was probably foolish to think that a chair could fully compensate the height difference. She was still just a little too short to reach. But being stubborn, Adelaide did not see the point in asking one of the attendants to bring a ladder.

They would probably be dismissive of her anyways. The subject material was not something a woman should bother with, they would probably say. Since her father's death, her brother had increased his vigilance and that extended to the castle servants.

In her desperation, Adelaide forced herself up on her tiptoes. It was just enough and she was able to yank the book from its position. Whatever victory she felt in that moment was short-lived as she lost her balance and toppled sideways. In the process, her body knocked against the bookshelf and moments after when she landed with a noisy thud on the ground, she looked up just in time to see she had bumped the shelf hard enough that it was collapsing down on her. With the entire bookcase came its occupants; books hurtled down toward her with their pages rippling noisily.

Frightened, she let out a small shriek as she ducked her head beneath her hands, hoping they would shelter her. A rather futile effort since she did not even pause to consider the sheer weight of the massive object collapsing toward her which would surely prove enough to crush her.

But while she heard the books clatter to the ground around her, she did not feel the force of the collision. Curious, she cautiously peeked up. Peering down at her were familiar golden eyes. And while she might have expected Claude's countenance to contort from the pain of being bombarded – since he had used himself to shield her – his expression was deadpan as ever. If it had not been for a small rivulet of blood that trickled down his forehead, she might have suspected he had not taken any damage at all.

Alarmed, she immediately stood up, nearly headbutting him in the chin. Claude barely managed to lean back, removing his hands from the bookcase – which he had miraculously managed to steady.

"Are you alright?" she blurted out, thoughtlessly reaching a hand toward his face.

He immediately took hold of her wrist before her fingers could so much as graze near his bloodied temple. "I should be the one asking."

Rather than his concern – which she somehow regarded as superficial, given that his diction gave little indication that he was at all worried for her – she had anticipated admonishment. Still, she was surprised that he was so quick to stay her hand from touching him. Why? Did he consider it inappropriate? Adelaide frowned as she jerked away from his grasp.

"You're the one bleeding," she told him dryly.

A look of realization surfaced on his face as he reached toward his forehead, pressing his gloved fingers to the blood that was beginning to trickle down the length of his face. Wordlessly, he reached – with his other hand – into the pocket of his suit and produced a handkerchief.

Adelaide immediately snatched the square-shaped, folded piece of cloth from him. With it, she reached up to dab away at the blood – but again she was met with resistance. "Just think of this as my thanking you. I was being thoughtless and you saved me from being injured."

"Your thanks is unnecessary."

That response infuriated her and glowered at him for it. "I do not need your validation; I am not giving you my thanks out of obligation or reparation. It is because I am genuinely grateful. Stop being so uncooperative."

The ferocity she displayed was enough to convince him that dissuading her was impossible. So he at last released her hand, dropping his arms to his side. As though to signal his compliance, he bent the upper half of his body toward her – to compensate for the difference in their height.

It made it easier for her to wipe away the blood, the origin of which Adelaide found difficult to trace. Though her eyes scanned his scalp, she could see no open wound. The bleeding seemed to have stopped completely. It was odd but she did not question such s small detail, considering at this point she was simply glad to see that he had not been more seriously injured.

Once she was finished, Adelaide noticed that Claude was staring quite intently at the book she held in her other hand. She had been clinging to it since she initially pried it off the shelf. "It's a book on philosophy. Are you interested?"

"Not particularly." Realizing that she had finished, he again straightened himself.

"You aren't going to tell me that I am wasting my time with such a book?"

"No."

Since the night of her father's death, Claude had become increasingly difficult to converse with. He always seemed preoccupied in thought or otherwise uninterested in speaking with her. It was as though he had grown disenchanted with his position as her tutor, despite the fact that she had actually recently become quite the obedient student. Or maybe it was because of that.

"I was thinking," she spoke up suddenly, "Of asking my brother for a favor. Not so much a favor as an agreement." Something that the future king – soon to be ordained – would no doubt consider brazen. But Adelaide had long lost any regard for his opinion.

Claude merely regarded her with empty eyes, not even bothering to probe her for what this "favor" was which she referred to. He displayed no outward sign of curiosity.

"I am going to ask him to allow me to make a trip to Hanover. It was on the way back from there that my father passed away. Although I realize my brother and the rest of the castle is also in mourning during this time, I feel like the only way I can move on is by retracing his steps. I think I could maybe understand him a little better that way..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that she was blathering.

While she did not expect him to make any particular comment on it, Adelaide was somewhat shocked by the disapproving look on Claude's face. "You should not waste your time on such a trip. Attend to your studies. Prepare yourself for your engagement."

"Why shouldn't I go?" she challenged.

His lips pursed as he stared back at her. There was something behind that now solemn expression of his. What was it? Either way, they stood in silence as he supplied no convincing reasoning for her to change her mind.

"Actually, although this may not be the best time to mention this since I now know that you do not agree with my intentions, I was hoping you would accompany me."

This revelation obviously did not please him. Yet Claude was not the type to express displeasure so openly. He was keenly aware of his position; it was enough that he had already spoken against her once to contest her idea. Speaking against her any further could be seen as an affront, and while Adelaide was not so close minded to interpret his disagreement as personal offense, Claude was rigidly loyal to social expectations. So while it was clear enough that he did not want to go with her, let alone see that she go at all, he spoke not a single word of protest.

That narrow-eyed glare of his was telling enough, however. She almost wondered if he suspected her true intentions. Obviously she was not so wishy-washy that she could not handle the death of her father, a man who had existed well past the life expectancy of most monarchs. All of that was just an excuse. Not just to get out of the palace and temporarily away from her brother's suffocating dictatorship, but as an opportunity to proceed with her own investigation. Certainly she did not have the qualifications to look into it, nor did she think herself capable enough that digging into her father's death could produce anything – but just a small chance, however minute...

"If you can get the future king's approval, I will accompany you, if that is your wish."

Adelaide blinked back her surprise. She had not expected his consent to come so willingly, albeit begrudgingly at the same time. Claude was still one of her brother's minions, so to speak, and she was not trusting enough to think that their time spent together had won any loyalty from him. So why, then, did he give his consent so easily?"

If her suspicions showed on her face, Claude gave no indication that he noticed. "If you have free time to meander about and peruse the shelves of the library, perhaps you should be preparing for your next lesson," Claude chided, bringing her back to reality. Rather than a harsh reprimand, it was more like a dry jabbing – something small and retaliatory in exchange for having to comply to something he disagreed with.

Even still, his reluctance was unneeded. Adelaide was quite positive that her brother would never consent to such a request.

"Then should you not be encouraging me, that I have taken an active interest for myself in visiting the library? You know, I have scarcely spent any time here prior to you becoming my tutor. This is a dramatic change for me. You should be proud."

He regarded her with some skepticism – not because he did not believe her, but more so because he saw no point in commending her for something that he probably did not see as any sort of accomplishment. His lips were poised to speak again, undoubtedly to say something about how her time could be spent more productively reading books that would contribute to her position rather than philosophy.

"You know," she spoke up before he had the opportunity, "More than my brother – I think I could make a good queen." It was blasphemy to say such a thing, but Adelaide studied Claude's expression the moment the words popped out of her mouth. How would he react, she wondered, would he rebuke her?

But instead of telling her, as Marie surely would have, to not speak such things, Claude said absolutely nothing. Her out-of-the-blue statement was met with utter silence. He merely stared blankly at her as though he had never heard her at all.

"No need to appear so glum. I may have some interest in philosophy and governance but I have no designs on the throne. You could have just laughed that off." Although she could not remember ever hearing so much as a chuckle come from Claude. He was certainly a person with no sense of humor. Far too austere; it was no wonder that he had yet to find a marriage partner.

"A joke," he surmised based on her quick dismissal. Yet he did not seem nor sound entirely convinced.

"I cannot imagine you are a very successful entertainer at parties," Adelaide mumbled to herself.

"I have no difficulty entertaining at parties."

She quirked a brow in disbelief. "Is that so?" Although she was inclined to think that he was not self-aware enough or conscious enough to realize if other people were actually bored or put off by his attitude.

Regardless, it was not a matter to concern herself with. Having decided upon a course of action, all that was left was to consult her brother – something she would have to do at nightfall shortly before bed time. Her brother was far too busy at the moment preparing for his ordainment.

Having settled on a plan, she offered a prompt smile to Claude as her thoughts solidified in her mind. Resolve bubbled up in her chest as she recognized the odds stacked against her but readied herself to face them despite that. "I have a bit before my next lesson, yes? Would you walk with me until then?" Phrased in such a way that he could scarcely refuse and she knew it.

The time they spent together was gradually growing and the more she saw him, the more enamored she became – whether she was fully conscious of it or not. Her dependence on Claude had only increased with the more isolated she felt from the other members of the castle, thanks in large part to her brother.

—

Like a chariot racing across the sky, the sun traveled quickly as the time morphed from midday into evening, and rosy-colored fingers stretched out as they made their descent behind the horizon. It was the hour in which everyone began to retire. Also the perfect opportunity for Adelaide to make way to her brother's room and request an audience.

Inappropriate, some may have said, for her brother was the future king and it could only be seen as thoughtless and disrespectful on her part. Adelaide scarcely paid custom and tradition any heed, though. She had never particularly understood the senseless need for a hierarchy, let alone the conditions that accompanied such a meaningless scale of "social importance."

Although her mind was laden with these worries and anxieties, she rapped quietly on her brother's door. Claude lingered a short distance behind her, intent on following her.

The person that answered the door was – much to Adelaide surprise – neither George himself nor a servant. Instead it was a gentle-faced woman who smiled as she laid eyes on the two people just outside of the door. She was dressed in fancy attire – a court lady? Adelaide was truly puzzled.

"Ah, you must be Princess Adelaide." The woman's eyes softened. "Did you wish to speak to His Highness?"

Adelaide could only assume this to be George's wife – someone she had considered little more than an enigma. What was her name again – wasn't it... Caroline? Even if she could hazard that guess, she had little confidence in actually calling that name, lest she be wrong and embarrass herself. Rather than be rude and inquire as to the identity of the woman, Adelaide merely presented a smile to mirror the woman's own and nodded. "Yes, I hope I'm not intruding." Not that she really cared, honestly.

"Certainly not," the woman assured. "One moment." The door clicked shut.

Since there was an opportunity, she craned her head back to glance at Claude. "Is that...?"

"Lady Caroline."

Adelaide's brows peaked in realization. So that woman was the elusive "Caroline" – a person that she had never really encountered before. If she remembered correctly, Caroline and George had been married for several years already. That made it all the more strange that Adelaide had never really seen her. Although it was true that her own father kept her at close quarters, confined and stifled – never allowed to leave the premises of the castle without the accompaniment of Marie and several other servants. Attendance at parties had almost always been optional. Indeed, Adelaide was often given incentive by her brother to miss most of them.

She had never dwelled on it much. It had always seemed normal to her. But as she had grown older, she had begun to realize that her life had been anything but normal. Perhaps it was because of her position, daughter of the king and his mistress – illegitimate. Certainly that was the reason people had gone out of their way to disassociate with her and keep her from tarnishing the image of the king in the court.

This news should have been a startling revelation that sent her world crashing down around her, yet Adelaide had long ago steeled herself to reality. Nature had been a cruel matron as it designated her lot in life. Never to reside in the spotlight but always in the darkness – cast out in the only way she could be useful; as a pawn to her older (legitimate) brother.

Her hand curled into a tight fist, knuckles turning a pale white. As her mind worked out the puzzle pieces, the picture was becoming vividly clear. The disgust was growing.

Just then, the door cracked open and this time the person peeking out was none other than the king-to-be. "You wished to speak with me?" Although it seemed less of a question and more of him demanding why she would bother coming to hassle him about whatever meaningless affair she surely wished to bring up.

Adelaide did not feel the least bit dissuaded by his critical tone. "Ah, yes, if you would not mind granting me a momentary audience. It is nothing of particular import."

"Quickly, then."

He said that but did not bother to leave the room or welcome her inside – not that she wanted to go in, certainly she did not. But it did not seem as though he was taking this seriously at all. Maybe she should have expected as much. No matter – the delivery she would give was the same regardless of where they found themselves standing. "With father's passing, I find myself in deep mourning. I know it is your wish to marry me off quickly, which I will give my full and willing consent to, provided you grant me the right to make one visit to Hanover before I am engaged."

"Are you trying to escape your duty?" he guessed with startling precision.

Adelaide could scarcely deny that the thought had crossed her mind. Rather to live as a peasant than under the thumb of someone such as he. Still, she knew she could not escape. "That you would accuse me of such blasphemous thoughts is deeply wounding. I know my duty to the court and to the king. I would not forsake such even if my life depended on it." She weaved such lies with a proficiency she did not even know herself capable of.

Suspicious still, George narrowed his eyes. He seemed to evaluate her words and expression, as though questioning how genuine she really was. "Is that all?"

"I would be most grateful if you would allow Sir Claude to accompany me on the journey."

"Only Claude?" he clarified – as though she would actually want a whole entourage of servants on such a trip.

"Yes."

Strangely enough, this request seemed to require little consideration on George's part. He gave a thoughtful nod almost immediately. "Very well." It heightened Adelaide's anxiety if only because she had not anticipated for him to agree so readily. Why would he? What reason did he have? Perhaps it was mere paranoia on her part but her suspicion only grew.

"Thank you," she told him, giving a deep bow to express her appreciation. "I bid that you have a good night, your highness."

The door clicked shut without him even bidding a word of farewell in return, not that Adelaide particularly minded. As soon as her brother was out of sight – leaving her to the empty hallway with only Claude as company – she turned on her heel and headed straight toward her room with a renewed beat to her step. Her mind had left the dreary thoughts from earlier behind, replaced by relief and joy that her brother was so willing to allow her to embark on a journey that's purpose she would have thought he'd have been more suspicious of. Whatever thought process led to his consent mattered not to her.

"How soon should we leave?" she wondered aloud as the two of them approached the door to her room. Perhaps the sooner, the better – for she feared that her brother might change his mind if she loitered for very long. "In two days? Is that sufficient enough notice for you?" Posing the question, she turned to peer over her shoulder at Claude with a quirked brow.

He nodded his head obediently, although the expression on his face gave little indication that he was at all pleased to be accompanying her.

"Is there a particular reason you seem reluctant to go? Are you loathe to leave the castle or–"

"Do not concern yourself with my feelings on the matter. It is your desire to go and His Highness already consented." He seemed to be protesting that he had no qualms about the matter despite his earlier warning to her that she shouldn't go. This sudden one-eighty seemed to suspiciously coincide with her brother's easy approval. Since the two were in league, it made her wonder if they were up to something. Certainly it was in her best interest to keep her guard up regardless.

"Alright," Adelaide relented somewhat reluctantly, figuring that he probably would not tell her even if she pressed him.

"Two days will be acceptable. The day grows late. Have a good night." He took a sweeping bow and with the flutter of coattails he was gone, without even waiting to hear a peep from her.

For as close as they seemed to have been growing before, there seemed to be a gaping chasm between them now. He had before consented to staying with her during the night yet now seemed to find ways to weasel out of those requests. The only reason she so willingly let him go was because she had yet to spy those golden eyes peering through her windows. They had been – thankfully – absent the past few nights. Whatever manner of beast had been lingering outside seemed to have disappeared. For that, she was grateful.

Stripping herself down and donning an evening gown, she slipped into bed and huddled beneath the comfort and warmth that the duvet afforded her. Her room grew eerily dark once she had blown out the candle. Sleep should have come quickly considering how early she had rose that morning, yet while her body felt exhausted, her mind was wide awake. But regardless of the fact that her thoughts were racing, time wore her down enough that eventually she settled into sleep without even realizing it.

The following two days passed rather uneventfully, all things considered. Preparations appeared to be going seamlessly on her brother's end and the country seemed ready to accept his ascension. Her father's sudden death had not proved as upsetting for the citizens as it had for Adelaide herself. However, only time would tell what kind of ruler her brother would prove to be – a concern not particularly pertinent to her when she would be shipped off wherever to marry whoever he deemed appropriate.

For the present, Adelaide was too preoccupied with her excitement and anticipation about the trip to fret over what would happen after she completed her journey. By the time the sun rose on the third morning, she was awake with dark circles sitting beneath her eyes. She could scarcely sleep when she thought about getting away from the castle – and her brother.

Claude did not seem to share her enthusiasm. He was relatively somber from the moment they took their light luggage and headed for the stables. Since it would only be the two of them, Adelaide easily dissuaded her brother from sending her in a carriage. It would be too conspicuous, she told him. Better to be on the down-low by just taking two horses. He easily consented which was just as suspicious but Adelaide could not even begin to comprehend what might be up his sleeve.

"How long do you suppose this trip will take?" she inquired to the stable master as he prepared their horses.

There was a moment of silent contemplation before he responded. "Assuming you don't ride your horses ragged, about four days to get there. Four more to get back. I suspect you will not be staying very long, my lady? I believe His Highness anticipates your turn in ten days."

"He made no specific time limit but ten days should be adequate."

"I only hope that you have safe journey. Are you not concerned that Sir Claude will not be enough to protect you if something happens?"

Despite the impression that Claude gave of being all brains, Adelaide suspected there was some brawn beneath that well-tailored attire of his. It gave the impression of musculature – from that she could infer that he most likely had sparring classes in his youth much like George had. It would only make sense. He had to have at least some knowledge of self-defense. Why else would her brother easily consent to Claude being the sole person to accompany her?

"You need not concern yourself. I will see her returned safe and sound." Claude spoke up to provide any needed assurance, although he was stone-faced enough that his words only seemed an order he had heard and regurgitated from George.

After having been properly saddled, the two horses were led out out of the stable. Claude came to Adelaide's side wordlessly and bowed his head. The gesture seemed to say what he would not; an offer of assistance to mount her steed. Typically – if he were anyone else – she would have refused and stubbornly crawled up onto the animal herself, regardless of how ungraceful it appeared. But all things considered...

A smile split her lips as she gave a shallow nod. "I would appreciate your assistance."

It was actually the first time she had ever really accepted the help of someone besides the servants or her father. Perhaps that was why she was unsure what to expect. It completely took her by surprise when Claude leaned down and hooked an arm around the underside of her knees, whisking her right off of her feet.

In the short moment she found herself in his arms, her entire face flushed. An unusual reaction because she knew that she should consider Claude in the same league as all of the other servants. But why did her cheeks burn like fire? The strength and gentleness with which he handled her certainly did not help her fluttering heart. Short-lived it was, however, as he hauled her up into the saddle. It was at that moment that Claude paused and their eyes locked.

There was something about those golden eyes of his, hidden behind those spectacles. They captivated her. Claude was the only person she knew with such eyes. It stole her breath just to see her own image reflected back at her as she stared unblinkingly. Yet something churned in her stomach at the same time. At first, she could not put her finger on it but then she realized.

Of course it had been just as obvious before – but now her mind started to puzzle the pieces together. Claude's eyes perfectly resembled those of the gargantuan spider she had encountered several times now. Pure coincidence, she would have dismissed, if not for the fact that there were too many suspicious encounters for it to be chance.

After all, for every time she had seen the spider, Claude was nowhere to be seen. She had granted that he was certainly unusual from the start. Where she had managed to drive off all other tutors, Claude had been impossible to shake off. In fact, quite the opposite had happened as she found her interest in him gradually growing.

"The reins, my lady."

She shook her head to break away from that thinking. Surely she was being silly. "Thank you." She squeezed the reins tightly in her hands before given her horse a gentle nudge. It lurched forward and matched pace with Claude's horse.

Silence settled between them as Adelaide considered the possibility that Claude was not all that he appeared. Even if it was foolish to think that he had any connection with the spider, it was true enough that both he and her brother had something up their sleeve. And she was not about to fall so easily in their trap. Whatever it was, she would make sure she was prepared for it when the time came.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Not the cliff hanger ending I would like to have provided everyone but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. :) Thanks for the reviews & faves & follows. I appreciate all the feedback!


	7. Revelation

**Chapter O7 - Revelation**

"Are you quite sure this lodging is, um..." she paused to consider her words, gaze sweeping across the room. A thick coat of dust had settled on the bed, the floor and the windowsill; the air, subsequently, was also stale. These quarters certainly did not give the impression of being suitable for someone of Adelaide's stature. Even though they were only due to spend one night in this dilapidated dwelling, she could scarcely bring herself down to such a level. On top of that, as she soon discovered upon trying to test the mattress, it was stiff as a board. Might as well sleep on a rock for as rigid as it felt.

Claude, on the other hand, did not seem to share in her dismay. "We must conserve the money your brother gave us for the trip." That sounded eerily similar to the same thing she had told him earlier when he had insisted she eat more, and she had used that excuse to weasel her way out of consuming peasant food. Now it was coming back to haunt her.

Despite feeling disgruntled about their situation, she could hardly complain about it openly. It was true that her brother had not spared her excess for this trip. Perhaps it was his way of ensuring that she would make her visit brief.

"No matter," she said finally. "I will make due with it. This is how the townspeople live every day, after all, is it not?"

He shook his head. "Not precisely." That was vague enough to be unhelpful – what was that supposed to mean?

Resigned to the dreary quarters that their money had afforded them, Adelaide settled down on the bed. Yet the moment she started to lie down, dust flew into the air and she found herself choking and gagging on it. No doubt this was going to be a rougher trip than she had initially anticipated.

For his part, Claude was silently pensive. He had not displayed his initial reluctance since they started the trip. Instead he had been obediently playing the role as her protector – that appeared to extend as far as navigating and making their sleeping arrangements. Perhaps she should have been more grateful, but doubt was weighing on her mind.

"You will be staying in the room next door?" she asked suddenly.

Unquestioningly, he granted her a subtle nod, "Yes."

Peeking out the window on the far side of the room, she noticed that the sun was setting and the sky was growing dark. It seemed prudent to go to bed early so they could make haste when morning came. Although her gut was still aching with hunger – she missed the rich food that the palace had afforded her. Everything Claude had provided her since they started their trip had been stale and tasteless in comparison.

"Well, it is quite time I settled in for the night. Best to get rest before the morrow."

Rather than agree immediately and take his leave, Claude lingered with a strange look on his face. His eyes almost seemed to be unfocused as though he had been entirely tuning her out. Despite an attempt to call out his name, he remained unresponsive.

Frustrated, Adelaide leaped off the bed and traipsed up to him. Waving a hand in front of his face, she called out to him again. "Hello? Sir Claude?"

Almost reflexively he snatched her wrist in death grip that made her wince. Just as quickly, however, he released her and presented an apologetic bow. "Excuse me for my rudeness." Although his voice sounded more hollow than it did sincere. Lucidity had at least returned to his eyes but it was clear his thoughts were elsewhere.

Despite the unease she felt at his uncharacteristic behavior, Adelaide offered a nervous smile. She could at least dismiss one incident. Although in the back of her mind – and maybe it was pure paranoia – she fretted over the meaning behind Claude's pensive expression.

"You wish to retire now?"

She blinked back her surprise at his sudden inquiry before giving a jerky nod. In a stutter she answered, "Y-yes. I thought it would be best to sleep early so that we may rise before the sun and set off quickly. Loitering is inadvisable after all, is it not?"

The dark-haired man inclined his head. Those eyes regarded her almost like an insect – it made a chill run down her spine. Although Claude was always aloof, he was even colder than usual all of a sudden. "As you wish." Almost as an afterthought he straightened himself to regain the dignified, respectful posture that was surely expected of his position. A brief bow later and he was headed toward the door. "Good night, then."

Adelaide hesitated to bid him good night in return, if only because his behavior had her so unsettled. What could possibly ever have someone as composed as Claude on such an edge? She frowned to herself as she rummaged through her luggage for some appropriate nightwear. And how she loathed the wrinkles the compact carrying bags created in her every outfit. Although she had tried to bring her most simple attire, it still frustrated her endlessly how unkempt an appearance she had to sustain as a result of packing light and traveling with just Claude. No doubt her life had been far too spoiled.

As she settled against her pillow and pulled the dusty duvet up to her chin, she breathed a small sigh. This trip was turning out to be more of a struggle than she had anticipated. But she suspected that it was both a valuable experience, and that she would walk away with either some insight into her father's death or at least be at peace with it.

Despite her preoccupation with such worries, it did not take long for her to drift off. The curtains on the window filtered out the dim light remaining outside and darkness soon infiltrated every corner. All noise outside soon faded as people were quick to retire to their houses for the night. The morrow would bring bustling once again but there was a temporary calm that fell over the small town that she found herself staying in.

While Adelaide was having a serene slumber, the creak of motion sounded just outside her door. Surely not enough to alert her to the impending danger, even as her door squeaked in resistance. Claude had definitely locked it on his way out and yet someone had cleverly managed to pick it – for it opened after just a few moments of fiddling. The cloaked figure that entered quietly closed the door before advancing toward the bed.

In her sleep, the young princess smiled, completely unaware of the silver blade hovering over her chest. Her assailant brandished it through the darkness and without hesitation, brought it crashing down straight toward Adelaide's heart.

Before it could hit its intended mark, there came the earsplitting sound of glass shattering. It startled Adelaide, who jolted upright. A strangled scream escaped from the back of her throat as, through the darkness, she recognized an unknown figure – threateningly towering over her.

"W-who are you?" she squealed.

Bemused, the man bent down to retrieve the knife that had been knocked out of his grip. But even he was baffled as to how it had been so unceremoniously whisked out of his steel grip. Certainly he had not dropped it out of surprise from the glass breaking? Had someone else come to assassinate the girl? But he had no time to process these thoughts, for he was interrupted before his fingers even grazed the hilt of his weapon.

And both Adelaide and her assailant turned to see what had crashed through the window. It was none other than that monstrous spider she had spent so many nights fearing. Despite the small opening that was surely not enough for its entire body to slip through, it had managed to press its legs through and knock the man a few feet away from the defenseless girl who sat like a frozen statue on her mattress.

As soon as the light from the moon created a glare on the blade that had been moments before poised to take her life, Adelaide realized her prospects of survival were infinitely greater in the hands – or many legs, perhaps – of the spider. Particularly when her other option was the man who was inching away from the monstrous beast that had interrupted him from assassinating her.

"The hell is that thing!?" he demanded in shock, his voice hoarse.

Perhaps fueled by instinct to survive, Adelaide decided that – since the spider had protected her – sticking by the reach of its arms was advisable. She crawled over the footboard of the bed. Her feet shuffled against the cool wooden floor as she inched closer to what she had initially feared to be something straight out of a nightmare.

But when the man came charging back – this time with a sword – the spider was decidedly less fearsome than she had initially thought. For it blocked the incoming strike with ease. Although strange fluid sprayed across the floor and the creature recoiled slightly, having sustained a wound from the contact.

It was obvious enough that, in such confined quarters, there was no possibility for the spider to stand a phantom of a chance against a man with a long enough blade that he could keep good distance while simultaneously striking. She was not safe here, and nor was her unlikely protector.

Despite the mantra in her mind repeating, _"Spiders are gross, spiders are gross,"_ she crawled onto the ledge of the window. "Um..." she started tentatively. But then what was she even bothering to speak to a spider for?

Regardless of her hesitancy, the creature seemed to understand her line of thinking. And whether it agreed or not, it wrapped a leg around her waist and extracted her from the room. She immediately lamented the decision, if only because the limb that precariously lifted her out into the night was fuzzy and uncomfortable.

Through the support of at least six uninjured legs, the creature was able to climb its way up to the roof. Once there, it immediately released its hold on Adelaide, who found uneasy footing on the rough surface and slanted slopes. She clung desperately as she could, curiosity getting the best of her as her gaze wandered to the creature that seemed to be peering over the ledge to ensure that they had no pursuer.

This adventure seemed straight out of a fairytale in her mind, if only because she could picture no other possibility to explain being on a roof with a spider. And she questioned the possibility of all of this being a dream. That was dismissed as she felt the cool wind's caress on her cheeks at which point she immediately decided it was too real and undesirably so.

Adelaide grew accustomed quickly to the surface and managed to at least crawl her way over to the area where the creature had retreated. Rather than seem menacing as it had all those times before, it seemed liable to recoil at her approach – as though it was the one fearing her. Although perhaps it had other motivations for wanting to keep some distance, she was not entirely sure.

Either way, she managed to coax it to stay still as she inspected the deep cut left behind in the wake of their brief encounter with her unknown assailant. And while she could not be sure in spider terms whether such a wound was serious, Adelaide deemed it to at least be worth her concern.

Her gown was long enough, with leggings beneath it, that she could afford to rip the fabric and at least makeshift a bandage. That alone would hopefully be enough to stanch the blood flow. Through the help of her teeth, she shredded off a lengthy portion of fabric and wrapped it carefully around the wounded leg. After a tied knot, she stepped back to inspect her work.

"You aren't so scary," she muttered to herself as her eyes flitted toward the main body of the creature. The darkness obscured both it and her vision enough to make only the silhouette of the creature very visible. But there was something about it that gave her a sense of comfort and familiarity. Odd – for that should have been the farthest thing from her mind, standing beside a gigantic spider.

But then came the clamoring sound of people below. "It's on the roof!" she heard distant shouting.

Startled by it, she glanced down to see some people scrambling to hoist ladders up. Just how many people were after her, anyways? Swallowing the lump forming in the back of her throat, she looked back toward the spider.

They desperately needed to escape. But at the same time, her thoughts lingered on Claude. Where was he? Had the commotion awoken him? Was he alright or had they already gotten to him? Her pulse weakened with fear that he could already be dead.

Motivated by that thought, she started skidding down the side of the roof. Almost as quickly, the spider reached out to retrieve her, trapping her in the hold of its leg. It hoisted her back up against her will as she kicked and flailed in resistance.

"Look, I appreciate you saving me, spider-thing, but I have to see–"

The sound of her voice was cut short as an arrow whistled through the air and grazed by her shoulder. Just close enough to cut the fabric without slicing open her skin, fortunately. But the very real threat was making it clear that they could not linger. They had to escape, even if it meant abandoning Claude in the process. It would be too risky for either of them, for Adelaide was fully aware that her death would be imminent without the monstrous creature that had already saved her once.

Bringing Adelaide back toward itself, it used the rest of its legs to start moving again. Adelaide was able to stretch her arms out and cling to the main body of the creature. Perhaps not trusting the strength of her hold, it still retained one leg snugly wrapped around her back to make sure she did not abruptly drop off.

As arrows started pelting the roof, the creature was quick to make its escape – although it was not as seamless as either of them might have hoped. For there seemed to be a group of people working in unison to bring both it and Adelaide down.

"I don't understand," she cried out in her confusion. "Who are these people? They cannot simply be bandits. And surely they don't know that–" In the midst of her complaints, she came to a realization. It was pure speculation and suspicion on her part but it seemed too plausible for her to readily dismiss. Had this been, perhaps, orchestrated by her brother?

Suddenly her throat felt parched and her mouth ran dry. The very real possibility that her brother had set out to eliminate her was terrifying. Surely not? Did he not already arrange her a marriage that would in turn benefit him ruling the kingdom? What would it pay to do away with her?

Her lips became taut as she narrowed in on the reason. He had been far too benevolent about the whole trip without trying to dissuade her. No doubt it was at once because he recognized how impossible it would be to deter her, yet also because he had something too great to hide that he could just easily throw her away if she pursued it?

The pieces were gradually fitting together. Her brother had to have had a hand in her father's death. That could be the only explanation for him to set out to kill her before she ever returned with the evidence to suggest as much.

But wait – did that mean Claude was in on all of it? Was that why he had not come to her rescue and instead her knight in shining armor came in the form of a giant hairy household nuisance? Adelaide frowned, dizzy from her own thoughts.

Although the night was cool, she was kept warm by the close proximity of her body to the creature's. For all the fuzziness of the spider, it provided amazing insulation. And despite its hulking form, it proved fast enough to avoid capture. And even though it was carrying her far off from the inn she had been staying at, away from where Claude surely was, she felt safe.

In the back of her mind she could not help a nagging guilt. All this time she had condemned the creature and thought it something to fear. Why, then, had it saved her when she needed protection the most? Yet it seemed to revel in the fear it induced, given that it had almost antagonistically followed her back at the castle.

Such curiosity remained unsated, even after they made it into the protection of the forest that lie at the outskirts of the town. Looking back, she recognized torch fires and lights spreading everywhere. People were roused by the ruckus and no doubt many of them had caught a glimpse of the gruesome creature carrying her away.

By the time the spider's pace slowed, all traces of the town had disappeared. Only the sound of crickets and the darkness of night remained constant. The trees had obscured the moon and left her almost completely bereft of any light with which to see. She could only rely on her other senses. But even they came up inadequate given her situation.

And once they seemed safe, the spider gingerly unfurled its leg as though to let Adelaide down. Stubborn, she refused, keeping a firm hold on it. "You can't leave me now," she expressed in a whimper. "If Claude is not here and you leave me... I'll be completely alone..."

Perhaps the creature recognized her fear. Whether it did or not, it did not seem to have any particular qualms about her sticking close. It settled down against the forest floor. And while she could not be sure, Adelaide had some confidence that it would remain vigilant even if she drifted off. For despite her fear, exhaustion had seeped through. Sleep was weighing down on her eyelids and she had not the discipline nor the mind to refuse it. Her heart which had moments before been beating violently and erratically, gradually settled as she eventually managed to drift off.

In her dreams, everything was still normal and she had not come close to meeting an untimely end. Claude was there and he was his ever-somber self. Yes, that was far more comforting than the reality that had so abruptly confronted her.

When in the morning, the amber rays of sunlight came streaming down through the trees, Adelaide was roused by the unusual feeling of something prodding at her head. She groaned in resistance until she heard a familiar voice from above.

"This is not an advisable place for a lady to be caught sleeping."

And considering she could hear the rustle of leaves and grass beneath her, she was most certainly not still comfortably in her bed. In fact, whatever warmth she had been provided during the night had been robbed from her and she found herself shivering as she slowly opened her eyes. Blearily, she gazed up at the impassive Claude who merely reciprocated her bemusement by offering a quirked brow.

"It is well past morning and the sun is already–"

"Claude!" she squealed in delight as she leaped up at him. Fortunately he did not try to sidestep her lunge, lest she would have ended flat on the forest floor. Instead she planted her face against his chest and wrapped her arms securely around him. "I... I was so scared, I..."

"Yes, you are particularly troublesome," he conceded with a sigh of resignation. That was more emotion than he usually offered and more of a reaction than she had anticipated.

Holding him close and feeling the warmth that his body provided, she felt a bit of the earlier chill start to dissipate. "I am so relieved," she breathed out. "I thought perhaps something had happened to you back at the inn. I thought I would never see you again."

"Such speech is unbefitting of someone of your position. Please remember your station."

Of course he would sling such reproachful comments at her despite their situation. But Adelaide was not to be dissuade by his dismissive exterior. "More importantly, how did you manage to find me all the way out here?" she asked curiously.

"His Highness would not have sent me along, had I not been capable of this much."

A perfect way of dodging the question. But she had more concerns on her mind that were far more pertinent than how he had managed to locate her. "Do you know who it was? Who came after me? It seemed like a large group of people. They could not be mere bandits–"

Those golden eyes stared down at her somberly. "I have no awareness of what you are speaking of."

Why was he playing dumb? Bewildered, she extracted herself from their one-sided embrace. "What do you mean by that? Of course, someone tried to attack me in the night and–"

"Who would bother attacking you?" he challenged, both brows peaked. It was almost as though he did not believe her. Yet how else would she have managed to end up in the middle of the forest? Was he going to claim she had been sleepwalking?

And surely, had she not experienced it so vividly, Adelaide might have also questioned her own sanity. She knew, however, that what had happened was surely real. It was not something she had imagined or dreamed. "Surely you were woken by the commotion there at the inn."

"What commotion are you referring to?" he echoed.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Then how do you think I got out here?"

"Did you not walk?"

Adelaide's face flushed as she charged back, "No, I did not. I was taken here by..." Her voice trailed off. How foolish would she sound if she told him that a giant spider had whisked her away in the face of danger and kept her company for the night as she fell asleep. No, surely even Claude would think her crazy for such a notion. She sank down to her knees, overcome with a sort of helplessness.

"If you have your thoughts in order, then we should be leaving. We have lost quite a bit of time lingering in the forest."

Adelaide gave a begrudgingly nod as her eyes averted to her lap. At which point she noticed the large chunk of fabric missing from her gown. Her first inclination was to be embarrassed to be seen in her bed clothes by Claude but then she realized – if her gown was torn, no doubt that it had not been a dream. But even though she cast her gaze about their surroundings, there was no trace of the spider or the bandage she had used for its wound.

And then her gaze turned back up to Claude as she thought to relay to him the events of the previous night, despite how crazy they might have sounded. However, all breath fled her lungs as she found herself caught in those golden eyes of his.

She had seen those before. Many times before. Not just daily when they studied together, but... at night. Watching her through the window.

Adelaide's blood ran cold, and she found that suddenly she could not swallow.

The reason she had felt such safety and comfort from the monstrous spider... The reason why it disappeared whenever Claude arrived... Surely it was because they were both one and the same.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know this update was super slow, I intended to update sooner but then had writer's block. That I managed to write this during NaNoWriMo is either a miracle or insanity, I have not decided which. Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	8. Paranoia

**Chapter O8 - Paranoia**

"You say you bought these steeds, Sir Claude?"

"Indeed, my lady."

"Then why are they as stubborn as a–"

"Mind your language, my lady."

She scowled at him as she yanked the reins of her horse. Having abandoned the ones that had been designated to them by the stablemaster back at the castle, they found themselves using two that Claude had purportedly purchased. Adelaide was skeptical on that front, if only because they had not been given the money to make such an expensive buy. (Frankly, she suspected he had stolen them somehow.)

If Claude was at all aware of her suspicion and skepticism, he did not show it. He kept as stonefaced as usual. And contrary to her stubborn horse that refused to speed its pace even at her insistence, his seemed perfectly content to obey his every command.

"Are we almost there?" she finally asked, exasperated.

"I believe it will take one more day."

Her suspicion and paranoia had only grown in the days since the little mishap where she had woken in the forest. Claude had paid careful attention to coax her out of returning to the town. Instead they had made it to the next town over on foot. And from there they obtained these horses. The inns they stayed in thereafter were always off the beaten path.

Even more curious, Claude had started making a point of staying in her room until she went to sleep. And the presence of an inhuman creature outside her window when she did briefly wake up during the night, did not go unnoticed either. She had grown used to those golden eyes lingering on her at all times of the day.

Initially she felt uncomfortable being watched. Part of her suspected that this was all an elaborate ruse. But she quickly dismissed her paranoia, if only because it made little sense why Claude purposefully went out of his way to fool her and protect her otherwise. If he intended to kill her, it would have benefited him to allow those bandits – or whomever they were – to do the deed for him. Why prolong it?

"Shall we stop to eat lunch soon?"

"Very well," she agreed with a bob of the head. In the meantime she continued to ruminate over the possibilities. For as much as she trusted Claude and otherwise had no one else to rely upon, she was still deeply suspicious of his motives for helping her.

Perhaps her probing gazes did not go as entirely unnoticed as she thought, given that when they settled down in a meadow for a brief meal, Claude seemed to catch her staring. "Is there something on your mind?" he asked politely. Although the glare of his eyes from behind those thick-rimmed spectacles was silencing enough to prompt her to say no. "Then please eat quickly."

Although she was no expert navigator, it seemed as though they had been covering more ground quicker than originally planned. That should have meant that they had already reached their destination, and yet Claude kept pushing them to go further. Where were they headed? Perhaps she was thinking on it too much.

"So we'll really get there tomorrow, correct?"

He paused, having finished the last sip of the tea that he had prepared. Why on earth he had thought it prudent to bring that along over water, she was not entirely certain. Still, he seemed to give her question adequate consideration before answering. "Yes, tomorrow we should arrive."

"This really seems like a backwoods way to get there," she grumbled under her breath, taking another bite of the stale sandwich that he had prepared for her.

"The safest route," Claude assured flatly.

She glowered at him cynically. "You say that, but..."

"I was entrusted to escort you there and I take that duty most seriously."

That much was already evident. Maybe she was letting her imagination get to her too much? Adelaide breathed a sigh as she finished the last bit of crust that remained. It was a difficult swallow and she found herself longing for the banquet-style food provided at the castle to these meager meals that Claude delivered her on their trip.

"Are you finished? We should be moving on." There was something in his voice that alarmed her. His gaze swept across the surrounding forestry, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Is something wrong?"

"Certainly not."

There was absolutely nothing reassuring about hearing that when his action completely contradicted his words. Another sigh seemed imminent and yet she held herself back. If he wanted to pretend otherwise, she would do the same. There was little else she could do but prepare herself for the worst of possibilities. "Alright, we can leave. I'm finished."

After a brief interval where he paused to gather their things, they mounted up and started down the road again. Their pace increased, although Adelaide's own stubborn ride seemed disinclined to canter so quickly – granted that a little coaxing from Claude was enough to get the horse moving.

They were moving briskly down that dirt-beaten path, hooves clomping noisily the entire way. Everything around them seemed still enough and undisturbed, at least to Adelaide's untrained eye. She found her gaze wandering if only because Claude's strange behavior had elicited some panic within her. Eventually she settled into the saddle and slumped forward. It was incredibly tiring and she found her entire body feeling stiff as a board. Being confined on a horse for so many hours in a day left her sighing wistfully. Perhaps this entire trip had been foolish after all.

Claude cast a glance back at her. "Have you already tired out, my lady?"

"Can you stop calling me that?" she said with a groan.

"Is there something more appropriate that I should use to refer to you?"

Was he mocking her? She frowned. "Adelaide would be quite fine, you know. You do not have to uphold all of that nonsense out here in the middle of nowhere. Better if people think I am some kind of peasant anyways. I'll be 'safer' that way, no?"

"You make a fair point," he conceded solemnly.

No way. There was no way it could be that simple. And she quickly realized why he had agreed so easily – he was not paying the least bit of attention to her. His eyes were once again scanning their surroundings. Did he suspect that they had some followers?

"I propose that we strip naked and run screaming through the woods," she tested, wondering if he would realize what she had said.

"That is suggestion is entirely inappropriate for someone of your position," he chided.

"Ah, so you did catch that one."

He stared at her for a long moment before turning his gaze ahead once more. At last he coaxed his horse to a stop, reaching out to catch the reins of Adelaide's horse as well. "Please wait here for a moment. I will return."

"What? What are we stopping for?" That sidelong stare made her uncomfortable and she flushed as she realized. "O-oh, you have to... right. I get it. My apologies, please go do your business."

He briefly sighed – the first show of exasperation she had seen during their trip. Though he did not waste his breath scolding her. Instead, as intended, he dismounted and headed into the surrounding shrubbery. There was a brief rustling until the entire place seemed silent.

Time seemed to pass all too slowly. It felt like a millenium to the impatient Adelaide, who rocked back and forth in the saddle. She found herself counting the seconds under her breath, as though it would coax him to hurry his business faster.

Finally she called out, "Really? Are you..." She pursed her lips. It was too vulgar to say out loud. But did he really have to...? Out here in the middle of nowhere...? Could he not have been a little more discreet about it? "Although, I guess when the urge hits you and you have to go," she muttered under her breath.

"I hope that you will not say such crude things in the future, my lady."

She nearly fell right off her horse when she heard those words spoken from just behind her. Shocked, she jerked her head around to stare at him. At first she started to bellow at him, "How uncouth! Do you realize how–" Her voice cut off as she noticed the blood splatters upon the front of his attire.

"We should make haste," he advised, ignoring her stare.

If his sudden appearance and the subsequent display of bodily fluids on his person were not enough to leave her feeling disconcerted, then certainly his urging for them to pick up their pace was. Regardless of her own anxiety, however, Adelaide obediently commanded her horse after Claude's lead.

The discomfort she felt subsided only once they continued down the road further. As night began to fall, the rays of the sun ducking behind the cover of the horizon, they happened upon a small town, dilapidated houses clustered together. Among the various buildings was an inn, which would be their momentary destination.

"We will stay here for the night," Claude informed.

As though that much was not immediately obvious when he guided their horses toward the inn. She struggled to dismount and only managed to successfully when his hands landed on her waist and lifted her off. "Thank you," she told him begrudgingly.

They headed inside and Adelaide lingered behind while Claude conversed with the innkeeper. Their conversation was kept brief and when Claude returned, he immediately guided her up a flight of stairs and into a cozy room at the back of a hallway. Almost as soon as she was settled inside, he seemed intent on disappearing out the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked suspiciously.

"Provisions. I have to go into the town before the shops close."

It made her uncomfortable to think she would be all alone in the room. Was he abandoning her so that whomever was following them could finish the job? No, that did not make any sense. After all, judging by the blood on his person, she could tell that he had already disposed of whatever it was that had been tailing them. Although even that knowledge left a bad taste in her mouth.

Still, she could not help herself from asking, "It will be safe while you are gone, yes?"

He studied her face for a moment. "I would not leave your side otherwise."

That sentence by itself would have sounded corny in any other situation. But given the pretense, she could not help the subdued smile that surfaced on her lips. With little else to do but beg him to make haste, she saw him off at the door of her room.

Loitering about waiting for his return proved too tiring to tolerate. After approximately fifteen minutes of pure boredom, she saw fit to wander outside. There was bubbling curiosity that could only be satiated by human interaction – with someone other than Claude. And a question that could most likely be answered by the innkeeper.

That in mind, Adelaide eagerly ventured down the staircase and traipsed up to the front desk. "Excuse me," she called out impatiently.

The burly man answered with a tired stare and a muted voice, "Yes? What ya need? Weren't you with that feller from earlier?"

Such an accent was unfamiliar to her and far from what she was accustomed to hearing even from the townfolk around the castle. Her lips grew taut. "Yes, I was just wondering... how close is this town to Hanover?"

"Hanover? You been drinkin?"

Certainly not, although she questioned whether or not he had. Either way the stench of his breath as he drew close was enough to send her reeling. "No, I am quite sober, thank you. Now if you would not mind answering my question promptly, I would be most appreciative."

"Yea, yea, such high'n'mighty speech. But ye must be lost if ye think Hanover is anywhere close."

"Why? How far am I away from Hanover right now?"

"Hrm." He paused to think on her question, drawing his fingers over the unkempt, graying mustache that looked more like a bush on his upper lip. "I'd say a good five days."

That was hard to swallow, particularly given that she had been prepared to dismiss all suspicions on Claude. But now it was confirmed. They were not headed in the direction that she had intended. Quite the opposite, they seemed to be growing farther from what was supposed to be their destination. So then where... was Claude taking her?

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**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews, hope you enjoyed. Hopefully the next update will come out faster!


	9. Abandoned

**Author's Note:** Please rest assured I haven't forgotten nor have I given up on this story. I am, as always, extremely slow to update. But that doesn't mean I plan to abandon it. (Uh, no pun intended given the title of this chapter.) Thank you all for the lovely feedback. It motivated me to try to get this done sooner, although it should have been done _much_ sooner than this. Please enjoy!

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**Chapter O9 - Abandoned**

"Must we rouse this early?" she groaned in protest. The sun had barely risen in the east, and yet Claude was already intent that they leave. He had barged into her room unannounced, ushered her out of her bed in nothing more than her night clothes, and insisted she dress quickly so that they might set out. Sleep still weighed heavily on her eyelids, and Adelaide found herself repeatedly trying to stifle a yawn.

"Yes," Claude answered vaguely, having disappeared momentarily to gather his things from the adjacent room. The two made haste out of the inn without even so much as a piece of bread for breakfast. And while Adelaide's stomach groaned audibly in complaint, there was no pause in Claude's preparations.

Light was just spilling into the village when they set off down the road. Adelaide suspected it would be another long, quiet day – with only the melodic sound of hoofbeats to keep her company. Claude was scarcely one for conversation. She could already feel herself dreading the boredom.

It had occurred to her several times to, perhaps, try running away. It was obvious that Claude his own designs separate from her own. But were they also separate from her brother's? That was the part that baffled her. Surely her brother wouldn't have minded if she had been offed by bandits.

"You said it would be one more day, correct? So then we should arrive today," Adelaide said suddenly, watching for Claude's reaction.

As usual, there was no flicker in that mask of his. He remained ever stone-faced as he gave her a nod. "Indeed, we will arrive today." Arrive _where_ was the better question, and the one that was tugging at the back of her mind.

"Claude." She had dropped the 'Sir' that had once been attached to his name.

"Yes?" Sensing that something was weighing on her mind, he peered over at her. Golden eyes gleamed behind thick spectacles. The glare of the rising sun reflected off of them and was nearly blinding to her.

"We are not heading to Hanover... are we?" Her throat felt strangely dry.

Almost immediately, he averted his eyes. "No, we are not." She was somewhat impressed that he was answering truthfully. But perhaps he knew she had figured it out. What point was there to lying, then? There was little possibility in her being able to escape successfully. Even if she did, the chances of her dying were too high.

"Then where are you taking me?"

"A safe place."

That answer confounded her. Somewhere safe? What for? What danger was she in? Furrowing her brows, she studied his back as his horse advanced a few paces ahead. Finally she managed to query, "Did my brother order you to do that?"

A pause and then, "No."

Silence fell between them. Adelaide was at a loss. This information was... unexpected. She never pegged Claude for one to disobey orders, especially from her brother. There had to be some other reason, though. "Then who ordered you?" she pressed eagerly.

Again, Claude was quiet at first. He peered back at her again. This time, there was something about his expression that seemed... clouded. Although Adelaide had always found him impossible to read, this time something seemed different about him. It was almost as though he was experiencing an... emotion? But as soon as she noticed it, it was gone and he had already turned away.

"Is it possible that—"

Before she could finish her sentence, he had slowed slightly and had suddenly thrust something into her face. It took a moment before Adelaide realized what it was – a loaf of bread. Although she wasn't sure when he had managed to get it, she snatched it from him happily. "While this isn't a breakfast fitting for someone of my stature, it will suffice." Despite the fact that she sounded haughty about it, she was secretly grateful. And her stomach thanked him, too.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Claude seemed to be on edge the entire time. He kept looking at their surroundings. On the occasions that Adelaide would plead with him to break, he would acquiesce begrudgingly. But almost as quickly, he would be ushering her to climb back on her horse so that they could hurry. She wasn't sure why he was being so hasty, unless he feared they were being followed.

The sun was beating down on them through the trees, and the heat was absolutely miserable. Adelaide thought to make some audible complaints about this, but Claude did not seem to be in the mood. She kept her qualms to herself. Although the curiosity was still eating at her—wondering where they were going, why they were going there, and who had told Claude to take her there.

It was not until the sun started dipping behind the horizon in the west that Adelaide noticed something in the distance. They had strayed off the beaten path a short time ago, and through the denseness of the trees, she could barely make out the outline of a house.

"What is that?"

"A house." Well that was easily obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes—he wasn't being the least bit helpful.

Her cheeks puffed up. "I can tell that much for myself. Is that our destination?"

"Yes."

When they arrived, Adelaide was mildly surprised to discover that it was little more than a dilapidated shack. And without even so much as a knock, Claude barged inside, motioning for her to follow behind him. It was certainly better than sleeping outside, she had to admit, though she was skeptical of this place being "safe," considering it was surrounded by the wilds with not a human in sight.

"Where is the occupant?" she asked curiously, peering around. There did not seem to be any decor in the house. Perhaps the owner liked it plain? Whoever it was, they had to know Claude fairly well to not mind him just waltzing in unannounced with a passenger in tow.

He paused as he was carrying in their supplies. "This cabin is abandoned."

"A-abandoned? Then how is this...?"

After setting their luggage down, he dusted his hands off and turned to her. "We will be staying here for the night. Someone will be coming in the morning to retrieve you."

"Who?"

He didn't answer that question.

"Are you selling me off?"

Perhaps she had expected him to give her a grim look of confirmation, or to otherwise laugh at the absurdity of her suggestion. He did neither, however. Claude only answered with a vague, "No." There was no reason to doubt him, but she had thought that before she had found out that they weren't heading to Hanover after all. When had they changed courses? Had they always been on the wrong course to begin with?

Claude wasted no time setting logs into the fireplace. Although it was still warm enough out, it would cool off in the night. And as soon as he had it lit, Adelaide marched over and settled herself down in the creaky rocking chair setting just before the hearth.

"Say, Claude," she spoke suddenly, not content to the silence. "Is it not true that you are in the service of my elder brother?"

"That is indeed true," he acknowledged without glancing back at her.

All day he had been intent on avoiding her gaze. What was on his mind? Was he feeling guilty? If there was cause for Claude, of all people, to feel guilt, then surely the future was not something for Adelaide to look forward to. But she seemed to have already resigned herself to whatever fate was in store. "If you are not doing this on his orders, then you must be doing this for his benefit."

"No..." His voice trailed off, as though he intended to continue. But he must have thought better of it because he stopped there.

It seemed as though trying to pressure Claude to reveal more would be a fruitless effort. Adelaide resigned herself to the mystery. She would most likely find out tomorrow when they met this person that Claude was expecting to show up.

"Here, you should eat."

The loaf of bread was somewhat stale, and the butter that Claude spread across it did little to mask the bitter taste. Still, food was food and her stomach had already been rumbling for some time. At the very least, Adelaide hoped that wherever she ended up would have a plentiful amount of food. She hadn't any qualms about being removed from her brother's side. Although the matter of her father's death—

"We should retire soon."

It almost startled her how he spoke so suddenly. Adelaide gave a delayed nod. She could mull it over in the morning. Sleep was already weighing heavily on her eyelids. And she could feel a yawn struggling to wriggle free from her lips.

There were not room to separate them in the small cabin, and so while Adelaide rested herself on a worn-out mattress, Claude made himself a pallet on the floor. Had the bed been any bigger, she might have invited him to sleep alongside her, to spare him the discomfort of the floor. But she already knew that he would refuse her.

_"That is not something a lady of your stature should say,"_ he would surely chide her.

Eventually, lost in her wayward thoughts, Adelaide ended up drifting off.

—

When she stirred in the morning, it wasn't to a familiar voice coaxing her out of bed. Instead, she was startled awake by the sound of a loud rapping on the door. With a jolt, Adelaide was upright—her eyes scanning across the room. Her gaze soon fell to the empty pallet at her bedside. It had been tidied, but it was empty.

Fear spread through her chest as she threw her blanket to the side, scrambling out of the bed. She landed on the floor in a clumsy stumble, scrambling to check out the other rooms in the dilapidated shack. That banging on the door was beginning to annoy her—it echoed noisily in her ears, and mirrored the rapid beating of her own heart.

Soon enough, she found herself standing in front of the front door. The pounding was relentless. It almost sounded panicked at this point, and she was terrified of opening it. Where was Claude? She had even courageously ducked into the bathroom to seek after him, but he was nowhere to be found.

A thin sheath of sweat covered her face as she nervously removed the wooden board that had acted as a blockade, keeping the door shut. Claude hadn't told her whether she should allow someone in or not, but considering he had brought her here in the first place with the intention of passing her off to someone else—this had to be the person he intended to meet, right?

The thought hadn't occurred to her that it could be Claude himself. Although if she hadn't been in stupor, she might have paused to ponder how the wooden board could be left intact, blockading the door, if Claude wasn't in the cabin anymore. But such a logical deduction would not come to her until much later.

Her heart caught in her throat as she stared at the burly man in front of her. His neck was several large rolls of fat, and he seemed to regard her with great puzzlement. Those tiny, beady eyes of his—framed by balding gray hair that fell in thin wisps on his forehead—strained to examine her.

"Yer the one?" he asked gruffly, adjusting the belt that his sagging belly nearly covered.

_The one_. What did that mean? Her lips thinned into a frown, and she took one retreating step back. "Who are you?" she demanded—in a tone that betrayed her fear of him and what his arrival here meant.

He smiled, at least she thought that's what he was doing. His lips peeled back to reveal a bunch of missing teeth—and the ones that were there were mostly yellow. It made her feel uneasy. "As I understand, yer the package I'm to pick up.

Package? What audacity. If she had the mind to scold him like a proper royal, she would have done so. But alas, her panic had still not quite subsided—and she found herself peering over his shoulder, hoping that at any moment Claude would come rushing up.

It didn't seem he was coming. Her face fell. "Did... Claude ask you to take me?"

"Mm? I didn't catch his name. His letter was urgent, though." He gave a quick shrug, eager to be done with this conversation. Hastily, he turned on his heel, motioning for her to follow. "Welp, lets get goin'."

"But _where_ are we going?" she demanded obstinately, refusing to leave the threshold of the cabin until she received the answer.

The man paused, bewildered by her query. "Ya mean ya don't know? We're right near the border."

"Border?" she echoed in disbelief. "Now see here, I cannot leave with a man I don't know, firstly. Secondly, this is my kingdom. I _have_ to stay here." If she sounded self-important, it was because she bulked at the idea of _ever_ leaving the only place she'd ever known. It was bad enough to be out here in god-knows-where, with some crotchety, balding man who intended to whisk her off to a place even _farther _away.

At this point, she was just as content to forget the idea of investigating her father's murder. She just wanted to return home. Back to the peace, back to the _good_ food. She would even take back Claude's incessant nagging about her lessons if she had to. But that look on that man's face did not seem to indicate she had any such option.

"Your kingdom?" he chortled. "Ya really don't know anythin', girl. This ain't a safe place for you no more."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do ya really wanna stay in a country where its king has ordered a royal mandate asking for yer head? To the rest of this country, yer just a wanted traitor of the crown."


End file.
